Brand New Colony
by EspressoShot
Summary: With everything falling apart around him, it's only a matter of time before he starts to crumble himself.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Before reading this story, you may want to check out my oneshot "Back to Your Roots". It's not necessary to understand this story, but it sets the scene and introduces the OFC.

Brand New Colony

* * *

><p><em>Everything will change.<em>

Darry Curtis gets off work at half-past six on Christmas Eve, and he doesn't get home until after seven o'clock. Sodapop darts out the door almost as soon as Darry gets there, saying something about how he has to go somewhere with Steve and Two-Bit, and he'll be right back. Ponyboy is in his usual spot on the couch, alternating between watching TV, reading, and smoking. He's been there pretty much all day every day since school let out for the break. Darry had hoped that getting his hair fixed would perk him up a little, and it did for a while. He went to a movie the day after Betty came over and fixed his hair, but he hasn't left the house since then. But it's not that Darry and Sodapop don't try to get their little brother to go out. They constantly offer to drive him places or suggest things for him to do, but Ponyboy always turns them down. He is perfectly content to sit on the couch all day. Darry worries about him, but he also can't blame him. Hell, if he had nothing to do but sit around all day, he'd take advantage of it. Especially after the week he'd had. Three families were instant that they have floors installed and walls painted before Christmas. One house isn't a small job, and three is almost impossible. And although Darry hates that he had to work so much overtime and spend so much time away from his brothers, he's glad for the extra money. For a while, it looked like they wouldn't be able to pay all their bills for the month.

The front door slams, Pony and Soda exchange a "hey", and then Soda starts stomping toward Darry's room. He goes in without knocking.

"What 'cha got?" Soda asks, gesturing to the piece of paper in Darry's hand.

"Is it a dirty picture?" Soda asks when Darry doesn't respond. "I wanna see."

Darry tires to pull it away, but Soda grabs it first.

"Betty Harrison," he reads. "I know that name from somewhere."

"She's the girl who fixed Pony's hair," Darry replies. "We went to high school together and went on a couple dates senior year. She was a cheerleader."

Sodapop thinks for a second, and then a look of clarity flashes across his face.

"The one with the big tits?" he asks.

Darry rolls his eyes and sighs, but he's been thinking about that very part of Betty every night since he last saw her.

"Yes, Soda. Her," he replies.

"Well, give her a call," Soda says. "Tell her to come over and wear something with a low neck."

Darry throws a punch at Soda, but he's already up off the bed and on his way out of the room, laughing at his brother's failure to land a punch.

XXX

Back when their parents were alive, Christmas Eve was a big deal. They'd go to church, drive around the rich neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, and then come home and have a big dinner that their mother prepared. They learned early that there wasn't a Santa, but when they were still young enough to believe in him, they'd leave cookies and milk by the fireplace before going to bed early. Once they were older, they'd stay up late listening to Christmas records and playing cards. It was something that all three boys remembered fondly.

But now that their parents are gone, Christmas is less eventful. This year, they didn't even get each other presents. They skip church and the Christmas light drive, and they have sandwiches and the remnants of a chocolate cake for dinner. Steve comes in around ten o'clock with a black eye starting to form and a still-bleeding nose. He mutters a "merry fucking Christmas" before lying down on the couch and almost immediately passing out.

Ponyboy is in bed by eleven, and Sodapop is watching the end of a movie that Darry has never seen before on the TV. Darry thinks for a minute about starting a card game with Sodapop for old times' sake, but he decides against it. Soda never liked cards much anyway, and catching up on sleep sounds more appealing than trying to get him through a game of bridge.

Darry gets up out of the armchair, his knees and back crackling. Sodapop looks up at him from his seat on the floor.

"You OK?" he asks. "Want some Aspirin?"

Darry shakes his head. "I'm fine. Get to bed soon or Santa won't come."

Soda cracks a grin and nods. "Soon as this is over."

"Ok," Darry says. "'Night."

"'Night," Soda replies.

In his bed, in the dark and under the covers, Darry once again falls asleep with his hand down the front of his boxers, thinking of Betty.

XXX

He wakes up to light streaming in through the holes in the window shade. He groans and sleepily rolls over to check the time. Surely it can't be that late. He could use a few more hours of sleep.

Darry jumps and curses under his breath when he realizes it's already two-thirty in the afternoon. He needs to get up, spend time with his brothers, and catch up on the housework that he put off while he was so busy with work. He only has the rest of Christmas and the day after until he has to go back to work. But his eyelids are already starting to droop, and all he wants is to sleep.

_Five more minutes_, he thinks. _Then I'll get up._

When he wakes up again, the clock reads six-thirty. He swears, forces himself out of bed, and stumbles into the living room. Ponyboy looks up from the book he was reading and cocks an eyebrow.

"You're up," he says. "Soda and I were startin' to think you'd sleep through the whole day."

"Sure was thinkin' about it," Darry says. He rubs his eyes with his palms, trying to wake up.

"Steve go home?" Darry asked. "Where's Sodapop?"

"They just left. Soda was taking him home."

Darry nods and sleepily shuffles into the kitchen. It's taking all of his willpower not to make a pot of coffee. And the sight of the dishes piled in the sink, the muddy shoe prints on the floor, and the overflowing trashcan just makes him more exhausted. He sighs and shuffles back into the living room.

"You and Sodapop clean up the kitchen when he gets home," Darry says.

Ponyboy doesn't reply, and Darry knows that he was probably too engrossed in his book to hear him. He'll tell him again once Soda gets home. Right now, he has to do something for himself.

A voice that sounds vaguely familiar picks up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Betty?"

"Speaking. Who's calling?"

He can feel a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, but there are also butterflies in his stomach.

"It's Darry. Darry Curtis. How you doin'? Have a good Christmas?"

"I'm good. Had better Christmases though. I was wondering if you'd ever call."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Just got swamped with work. But listen, you free tomorrow?"

"Maybe. Who wants to know?" He can hear in her voice that she's teasing him.

"Was wondering if I could take you out for drinks. Catch up some more. Hear about this not-so-great Christmas you had."

"I'd like that," she says. And although he knew she'd say yes, Darry unconsciously breathes a sigh of relief.

"Third Street at around seven sound good?" he asks.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you then," she replies.

"See you," he replies and hangs up the phone without saying goodbye.

XXX

Sodapop is back, and he looks quizzically at Darry.

"What's up with you?" Soda asks. "Ain't seen you smile like that since … I don't know when. You get laid or somethin'?"

Darry takes a sip of his beer and opens up the issue of _Sports Illustrated _that he bought on his way home from work on Christmas Eve.

"Darry?" Soda asks.

Darry just shakes his head. "You and Ponyboy go clean the kitchen."

* * *

><p>S. E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. The Postal Service owns Brand New Colony.<p>

Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Darry is running late and in a bad mood. He feels like he spent the whole day paying bills, running errands, and nagging Ponyboy and Sodapop to get on cleaning the kitchen. And then all the hot water got used up washing dishes, so he had to shower in water that was barely lukewarm. By the time he shows up to meet Betty, he's fifteen minutes late and his jaw is hurting because of how tight he's been clenching it. After his third attempt at parallel parking in a too-tight spot, he's beginning to wonder if he should have just rescheduled.

But he starts to think he made the right decision once he's inside the bar. Betty is sitting alone at a booth with a half finished Cosmopolitan in front of her and wearing a tight sweater that shows off her figure. He suddenly feels awkward as he walks over and tries to shake her hand, but she jumps up and gives him a hug. He'd forgotten how tiny she is. The top of her head barely reaches his shoulder. But Darry can't help noticing that what she lacks in height, she makes up for in her bust.

"Was starting to think I'd been stood up," she says. But she's smiling, and he can tell that she isn't mad.

"A guy would have to be a damn fool to stand you up," he says.

She blushes and stares down into her drink, but she's still smiling. A waitress comes by and takes Darry's drink order without asking for an I.D., and it bothers him more than it should.

"I'm gettin' old," he says. "Didn't even card me."

"Bull, you look the same as you did in high school. Look at me, I've gotten fat."

"Hardly," Darry says. His eyes involuntarily drift toward the low neckline of her sweater. He mentally scolds himself and quickly looks up. But he can tell by her smirk that she caught him looking. She's also polite enough, or flattered enough, to not say anything about it.

The waitress sets Darry's beer down in front of him, and Betty starts playing with the straw in her drink.

"So … how've you been since I saw you last? It's only been, what, a couple weeks?" Betty asks.

Darry shrugs. "Busy. Feel like all I've done is work. Had to put in a bunch of overtime this past week. Slept almost all of Christmas day. How 'bout you?"

"Same," she sighs. "All I ever do is work. Then on Christmas I got to go to my parents house and listen to my mom and dad bug me about why I couldn't have chosen a respectable career. And then my grandma went on her usual rant about how she was married by the time she was seventeen and had her first kid a year later and why can't I do that? So I got sick of it and left early, and now my whole family is mad at me."

"I'm sorry."

Betty drains her drink and motions for the waitress to bring them another round. Darry had only meant to have one drink, but he figures one more won't hurt.

"It'll all blow over. It always does," Betty says. "Grandma will remember that I'm the only one who can give her a perm that she likes, mom and dad will get tired of not seeing or hearing from me. It'll be good for a while, and then it'll get bad again. That's just how it works."

"'Least you still got parents to fight with."

Betty gives him a look that he can't quite read. She almost looks offended, and he starts to wonder if he should apologize. But then she nods in agreement.

"You're right," she says.

The waiter brings the second round, and they sip on their drinks for a few minutes in an awkward silence.

"I really am sorry about your parents," Betty says.

Darry nods. "Thanks."

"And I'm sorry I didn't keep up with you better. It's just…"

Her voice trails off. She's quiet for a minute, and then she sighs and shakes her head.

"You should hear the way they talk about you. Our old friends, that is. Should've known they were full of it. I'm sure they say the same things about me now. I haven't hung out with them in ages."

It's nothing Darry didn't already know. He had been slowly but surely drifting apart from his high school friends ever since graduation. At first, he didn't see much of them because they were off at college while he was at home working. After his parents died and he got custody of his brothers, he had even less time for them. He could tell that they didn't understand why he didn't have time for them even on weekends and holidays. And although there wasn't anything he could change, his old friends got more and more upset with him and started to put more distance between them. His fight with Paul at the big rumble sealed the deal. He isn't friends with any of them any more. And when they see each other around town, they pretend not to know each other.

"I figured they were," he says after taking a long drink from his beer. "Got into it with Paul Holden back in August, among other things."

"I hope you beat his face in."

"I did."

"Well good," Betty says. "He deserved it."

Darry laughs and Betty smiles at him.

"Well, anyway, I'm glad you looked me up," she says.

He smiles back at her. "I am too."

XXX

He ends up drinking another beer and staying out later than he planned. By the time he and Betty leave the bar, he knows that he should have been home and in bed over an hour ago. But he still insists on walking her the four blocks back to her apartment. It's partly because he doesn't like the thought of her walking home alone at almost eleven o'clock at night, and partly because this is the most fun he's had in a long time. But it's mostly because he wants to make sure that he's completely sober. It's been almost a year since his parents were killed in a drunken auto wreck, and he's not going to go out the same way. Not while he has his brothers to take care of.

They get to Betty's apartment, and Darry pulls her into a hug. She's warm in his arms, and for a split second, he wishes that he didn't have to let her go. But reality sets in. He needs to get home. He needs to go to work in the morning and look after his brothers, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to see her again. He sighs and pulls out of the hug.

"Gotta' get goin'," he says. "Work early in the morning."

"OK," she says. "Thanks for comin' out with me. I had fun."

"Yeah. I did too. But, look, Betty…"

"I know," she cuts him off. "You don't have a lot of free time. I don't have much these days either."

He shoves his fists in his pockets. "But when we're both free … I'd like to see you."

"I'd like that too," she replies.

"I'll call you soon, OK?" he asks.

"Yeah. OK."

"Well, goodnight."

"'Night," Betty says.

But neither one of them makes a move to walk away. They just stand on the stoop of Betty's apartment, bathed in the yellow glow of the streetlight, staring at each other. Finally, Betty sighs and takes a step toward Darry.

"You want somethin' done, you gotta' do it yourself," she mutters under her breath.

She stands up on her toes, and he bends over slightly. The kiss doesn't last long, but it's good enough for them. They're both smiling when their lips part.

"'Really should go," Darry says. "I'll call you."

"Ok," Betty says. "I'll be waiting."

He gives her one more quick kiss on the cheek and then forces himself to walk down the few cement steps and start down the block. He stops as he's about to cross the street and looks over his shoulder to see that Betty has disappeared inside her building. He breathes deeply a few times, trying to shake himself out of the fog he's in, and starts back toward the truck.

* * *

><p>I'm hoping that this isn't too OOC for Darry, or too mushy already. Soo... call me out if it is? Please?<p>

I'd love some reviews! I'm kind of iffy about this story, so feedback would be great! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Darry never thought he'd wish that he had to work, but today, he's desperate for a good reason to get out of the house. Ponyboy had one of his nightmares in the early hours of the morning, and none of the brothers were able to sleep after that. So the three of them sit in the living room in silence, Ponyboy curled up in Soda's arms and crying off and on, Sodapop staring blankly at the off-air TV, and Darry absently cleaning under his fingernails with his pocketknife. They all know what today is, but only Darry knows the whole story. He wonders if things would be different if his brothers knew. But, at the same time, he thinks they're better off not knowing. It's the reason he didn't tell them in the first place.

The three of them jump as the TV station suddenly comes back on the air, and the sound of the morning newscasters fills the room. But it's still too quiet. It's too different from the house's usual morning bustle, and it just adds to the oppressive atmosphere. He can't stand this. He's not like his brothers. Darry has never been the kind to wallow and dwell on his losses. It's easier for him to stay distracted and try to keep things out of mind. And while he knows that he should be there for his brothers, there's a rapidly tightening knot in his stomach, and he's afraid of what he'll do if he stays in the house all day.

Ponyboy sniffles and slowly stands up.

"Goin' back to bed," he says. His voice is hoarse.

"'K, buddy," Soda says. "I'll be there in a minute."

Ponyboy nods and stumbles back to the bedroom. Sodapop looks up, and Darry notices that his eyes are red. But he's not sure if it's from lack of sleep, crying, or both.

"You ok?" Soda asks.

Darry shrugs. "Think I should be asking you that."

"I'm fine. Just glad work is closed today," Soda replies. "I'm in no mood for it. And Ponyboy needs me."

"Hope he gets some sleep," Darry says. "Both of ya'll."

"I'll make him take some aspirin or a sleeping pill or somethin' if he don't," Soda says. "You should get some sleep yourself."

Darry shakes his head. "Don't think I could go back to sleep if I tried."

"You gotta' quit bottling everything up. You're gonna have a heart attack before you're thirty."

"Yeah, yeah. Ya'll gonna be OK if I go out for a bit?"

Sodapop nods and stands up. "Go sleep with your girlfriend. It'll be good for ya'."

Darry halfheartedly swats at Soda as he walks by, and then he forces himself out of the armchair and into the kitchen for more coffee. It's only seven-thirty, but he's wide-awake, and he knows that if he's going to go out and do something, it would be best to go while his brothers are sleeping.

He drains his cup of coffee in two big gulps and picks up the phone. He remembers Betty being a morning person. And hell, maybe she's still awake from the previous night. Either way, he hopes she'll see him.

XXX

Someone picks up on only the third ring.

"Who do you think you are, calling at this ungodly hour?" a gravelly voice that obviously isn't Betty asks.

At first, he thinks he dialed the wrong number. But then he starts to think that Betty mentioned having a roommate.

"Is Betty around?" he asks after a pause that he knows was too long.

"Yeah, Pollyanna is up and about," the person replies. Then slightly muffled, as if a hand is over the receiver, "come take your call. And ask why he's calling so early on International Hangover Day."

"Drink some water, Pearl," Betty says. And then into the phone, "Hello?"

"Betty?"

"Hey!"

"You busy? Wanna get some breakfast or something?" he asks.

"Love to," she replies.

"Pick you up in half an hour?" he asks.

"I'll see you then," she says.

XXX

She climbs into the truck and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good to see you," she says.

"You too," he replies. "Glad you were up. I had to get out of the house for a while."

"Same. Pearl is a real drag when she's hungover. But what about you? Everything ok at your place?"

The knot in Darry's stomach is so tight that he doesn't think he can keep any food down. He feels like a bottle that someone's shaken until the top is about to pop off.

"Are you all that hungry?" he asks.

"Not really. Why?"

"You wanna just drive?"

Betty slides across the seat so she's right next to Darry. Driving with one hand usually makes him nervous, but the roads are practically empty, so he lets himself wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Driving is fine," Betty says.

He makes a left turn and starts toward the river. There used to be a good place to park along the riverbank out toward Sand Springs. But it's been years since he's been there.

"It's been a year since my folks died," Darry finally says. "Today's the anniversary."

Betty gasps. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I knew it was around this time, but I had no idea it was today."

"Yep. Coming home from a New Year's Eve party. It was a drunk driver."

He sighs heavily. He's fighting the urge to punch the steering wheel, but instead he just grips it tighter.

"I'm the only one the cops talked to. I'm the only one who got to see what was left of the car. I had to go to the hospital and the coroner and all those other people to make arrangements. Just me."

"Darry," Betty says softly.

"And when Ponyboy and Sodapop asked me what happened, I told them it was a drunk driver. And it was. But what they don't know is…"

His voice trails off as he focuses on his breathing and on the road. He's gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are white.

"What they don't know is that the drunk driver was our father. He took a turn too fast and wrapped the car around a telephone pole. Cops say they died on impact."

"Oh god," Betty whispers.

"Pony and Soda just assumed there was another driver who was the drunk one, and I didn't see any need to correct them. They don't have to know this whole thing is dad's fault. I don't _want_ them to know it's his fault."

"And you know what I got for my twentieth birthday four days later?" he asks. "I got family court dates, and appointments with social workers so that I could keep my brothers, and a funeral visitation. Happy fucking birthday to me."

As if by magic, they're at the spot by the river. It scares Darry a little that he was so zoned out while driving there, and he hopes that he didn't do anything stupid. He pulls the truck behind a couple of trees, puts it in park, and kills the engine.

"The worst part is that we're all gonna be reminded of this every New Year for the rest of our lives."

He turns to look at Betty. She's pale and her eyes are full of tears.

"And now I've scarred you for life too," he says.

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. I'm just so sorry."

She pauses. "But, for what it's worth, I think you're the most amazing, selfless guy I've ever met."

It's worth a lot. It's worth more than she could ever understand, and he doesn't try to explain it to her. He just tilts her chin up and gently kisses her.

It's all slowly deepening kisses and wandering hands from then on. Part of him knows that they're moving too fast and they shouldn't be doing this yet. But another part of him, the dominant part, says that they're both adults and it shouldn't matter. They have every right to do this. She can say stop whenever she wants, and he'll obey. But now both their shirts are off, he's fumbling with the clasp of her bra, and it's becoming obvious that no one is going to say no any time soon. All he can think about is how the last time he got laid was at Paul Holden's graduation party, and that was more than two years ago. There's no telling how long it will be before he gets another chance.

He does need something to get his mind off of things.

XXX

Darry gets home just after dark. Sodapop is sitting on the couch, and he cocks an eyebrow at him as he walks in. Darry kicks off his shoes and flops down next to Soda on the couch. He's suddenly exhausted.

"Where's Pony?" he asks.

Soda smirks. "Sleepin'. Slipped him one of those painkillers he got when he came home from the hospital. I'm hopin' he's out for the night."

On the TV, some poor man is failing miserably at The Newlywed Game, and his wife is looking less amused by the second.

"You were gone for a long time," Soda says.

Darry nods. "I know."

"You nailed her, didn't you?"

"_Soda_!"

"You did!" Sodapop laughs. "Oh, man! Congratulations. Can't say I'm not a little jealous."

"I didn't say I did anything with her."

"You didn't have to. I have a sixth sense for these things."

"Oh, god," Darry says. "I need a drink."

Sodapop is still roaring with laughter as Darry walks into the kitchen for a beer.

"Glad you're happy!" he calls to Sodapop as he searches for a bottle opener.

But he's smiling. He's happy too.

* * *

><p>So there's my take on how the Curtis parents died. And Betty can be fast if she wants to be ;)<p>

I'd love and appreciate any feedback! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Darry comes home from work one night in mid-March to find Sodapop sitting on the couch and smoking a cigarette. The full ashtray tells Darry that he's been at it for a while. Something is wrong. Soda doesn't normally smoke, but the week that Ponyboy was gone, when Sandy left, and right after their parents died, he smoked like a chimney. Darry knows that he's sweaty and covered in dry roofing tar, but he still sits down next to Sodapop.

"What's up, little buddy?" he asks.

Soda shrugs. "It's nothin'. Don't worry about it."

"I ain't stupid. Now you wanna tell me what's wrong? Did you get another speeding ticket?"

"Darry, it's nothing," Soda says. "Just let it go."

"Fine," he says. "I'm just gonna sit here until you tell me what's got you down."

"I swear," Soda mutters as he lights another cigarette. "It's always something with you, ain't it? Can't you just be happy that Ponyboy's grades are back up and that you and Betty are steady now? Just leave me alone. I'm telling you I'm fine."

"I ain't goin' nowhere."

Soda gets up and stomps out onto the porch. Darry waits for a few minutes before following him outside. He stands next to his brother, leaning on the porch railing. Soda finally sighs heavily and grinds out his cigarette.

"Steve's turning eighteen next month," he says. "And then he's out of high school in June."

Darry nods.

"And just … the war and everything…"

"You're afraid he'll get drafted?" Darry asks.

He's been worrying about that himself. But he's more worried for Sodapop than for Steve. In seven months, he'll be draft bait. And Darry doesn't know if he can handle losing another person. Not one of his brothers. Not Soda.

Sodapop shakes his head. "No. He wants to go to college. A community college or somethin'. Get some kind of mechanics degree and open a garage."

Darry's heart sinks as he thinks about his own dreams of going to college. They seem so far out of reach now. There's not enough money and not enough time, and he doesn't know if there ever will be. Not for him. Ponyboy, though, Darry knows that he'll go to college in a few years. He has to. One of them has to make it out of the north side.

"Never thought of Steve as the college type," Darry says.

He doesn't doubt that Steve is smart. He knows that Steve does well in school, and that he's actually going to graduate, which is more than a lot of guys in their neighborhood can say. Still, Steve isn't the type to sit around studying, and he'd rather be working on something than learning about it in a class. And even if he was the studying type, between the sick mother and the alcoholic father, the Randles are as good as broke.

"Where's he think he's gonna get the money?" Darry asks.

"He's been saving money," Soda says. "And the Army will give you money for school."

"He's joining up?"

Soda nods. "Figures he might as well."

"I'm sorry," Darry says after a long, stunned silence. "Hey, maybe they won't even send him to 'Nam. Maybe they'll put him in Germany or Japan or someplace. Since he's joining instead of waiting to get drafted."

He knows that's not going to happen while a war is going on. Unless there's some sort of miracle, Steve will go to Vietnam. But Darry will say anything to cheer his brother up. He doesn't like seeing him moping around the house, and he always manages to drag Ponyboy into a bad mood too.

"Darry?"

"Yeah?"

Soda sighs a long, shaking sigh. "I wanna go with him."

Darry's veins turn to ice. "No."

"We've got it all planned. He'll go to school, I'll get a business loan, and we'll open a garage together. And I could use the pension money to help pay for Ponyboy's college."

"No, Sodapop, you don't have it all planned. What happens if one of you dies? What happens if you _both_ die? Maybe he won't graduate from school. Maybe your loan won't get approved. What then, huh? You two didn't think this out at all, did you?"

"He's my best buddy," Soda says softly.

"Well, me and Pony are your family, and you should think of us first. Do you really think Ponyboy could go through losing you? Losing mom and Dad and Johnny just about killed him. I don't know what he'll do if you're gone. Hell, _I_ don't know what I'd do if you're gone."

Darry is tightly gripping the porch railing and forcing himself to keep his breathing steady. He's never wanted to take his brother by the shoulders and shake him more than he does right now. He wants to punch him, knock some sense into him. But the memory of the last time he hit one of his brothers keeps him from acting on that impulse. Sodapop might take it as a reason to run off to Vietnam with Steve.

"Just wanted to try and do something useful for once," Soda says. "Be with Steve in the Army, get some extra money to spend on Pony's college, find a good job I can do for the rest of my life…"

Soda turns and goes back in the house. Darry follows, trying to sort out his racing thoughts.

"Sodapop Patrick," he starts. Then he sighs and rubs his eyes with his palms.

There are so many things he wants to say, but all that comes out is, "no brother of mine is joining the military. You're not going to the goddamn jungle to get killed, and that's final."

"You won't have any say once I'm eighteen."

Darry wants to punch him. But instead, he punches the coffee table, leaving a dent and a large crack down the center. His hand is throbbing as he picks up the truck keys. He has to go somewhere to cool off. Any more time at home, and he might end up killing someone.

XXX

He drives all the way to the Safeway at the end of the Ribbon to make sure that he's calm enough, and then he calls Betty from a pay phone. Then he's back in his truck, headed to her apartment. He's calmed down enough to see her, but his heart is still beating hard, and he's gripping the steering wheel so tightly that he's sure his fingers will leave imprints on it.

Betty opens the door to her apartment and looks at him quizzically.

"Something happen at work?" she asks.

He's suddenly aware that he hasn't showered, and he's still in his filthy work clothes. He probably tracked dirt and tar and god knows what else into her apartment.

"Pearl around?" he asks.

"No. She's on a date. She'll probably be gone the whole night," Betty replies.

"Can I use your shower?"

She nods. "Come to my room when you're done."

XXX

He feels a little better once he's cleaned up. He's in no hurry to put his dirty clothes back on, so he wraps a towel around his waist and goes looking for Betty.

He finds her sitting on the bed in her room. There's a six-pack of beer on the nightstand. She's only wearing her slip.

"Close the door," she says.

He closes it, even though they have the whole apartment to themselves. Betty opens a beer and hands it to him. The two of them sit in silence while he drinks the first bottle. Then she opens another bottle, hands it to him, and lets him take a sip.

"You wanna talk?" she asks.

He sighs. "Sodapop and his friend Steve have this hair-brained scheme to join the army, and then use their GI Bill benefits to open a garage."

"Well, they're both good with cars, aren't they?"

"Yes, but they haven't thought it through. They're only seeing the good in this. They haven't thought about what would happen if…"

He swallows hard, takes a few more sips of his beer, and closes his eyes tight.

"If he dies over there, I can't even think about what that would do to Ponyboy," he says.

"And you too," Betty says.

He nods. "Yeah."

He finishes off his second beer, and Betty hands him a third. He doesn't think about how much he's drinking or how he'll get home. His mind is somewhere else.

"We could really use the extra money," he says.

He mentally kicks himself. "But no. No. It's not worth him getting killed over. Oh, god, how could I even think of that?"

He flops down on the bed, dropping and spilling his beer in the process. But Betty doesn't seem to notice. She just lays down next to him and drapes an arm over his chest.

"You've got a while to think about it," she says. "Don't gotta' decide anything today."

He sighs. She's right, but at the same time, he knows it will be in the back of his mind, eating at him, until he does.

"It'll all work out," she says.

But he's not sure that it will.

* * *

><p>Serious Soda is serious, mad Darry is mad, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.<p>

Special shoutout to 7.06andcounting and Hawaiichick! Thanks for reviewing every chapter so far! :D

I welcome all feedback from anyone who wants to give it! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Darry and Sodapop try their best to avoid each other for the next few days. It's easier than Darry thought it would be. They're gone at work most of the day, and then at night Sodapop goes out with Steve and Two-Bit or watches TV with Ponyboy. Darry has extra work because taxes are close to due, and there's a lot of paperwork to sort out for the company. He hasn't even started on his taxes, and he knows Sodapop can't be trusted to do his own, so he's sure he'll end up doing his too. He'll be spending nights sitting at the kitchen table and working for the foreseeable future.

It takes Ponyboy until Friday morning to notice the dent and crack in the coffee table. Sodapop says that Two-Bit was drunk and fell into it hard. Ponyboy buys it without a second thought.

Darry is still half-asleep even though the house is chaotic as usual. The weatherman on the local news is saying something about severe thunderstorms and a possibility for tornadoes. He's starting to process this information when the phone rings. It's work. No need to come out to the job site today. They're not going to risk it with such bad weather on the way. Part of him is relieved, because he's exhausted and there's still so much bookkeeping work to do. But another part of him knows that missing out on a day's pay will really hurt.

Sodapop comes into the kitchen and grabs a piece of cake out of the icebox. He starts to eat it without acknowledging Darry's presence.

"Work just called," he says. "Can't go in today 'cause of the storms."

Soda nods and takes another bite of cake.

"You be safe at work. Don't do anything stupid like try to drive to Pony's school and save him if a tornado is coming," Darry says. He meant it as a joke.

"I'm not an idiot," Soda says.

Darry sighs. "Soda…"

"I have to go. I'll be late," Soda replies.

He's out of the house in a flash, taking Steve and Ponyboy with him. The only sound is the droning voice of the weatherman on the TV. Darry flops down on the couch and rubs his eyes. Should he work on bookkeeping? Get a bit more sleep? Do bookkeeping and then sleep? Sleep and then do bookkeeping? There's a faint roll of thunder outside, and he gets a different, better idea. He picks up the phone.

XXX

"Pearl and Betty's place. We regret to inform you that we are completely out of everything except coffee, but thank God for small favors. How may I direct your call?"

Darry laughs. "Hey, Pearl. Betty up yet?"

"Yup. Hold on," she replies.

Betty comes on the line a minute later. "Hello?"

"Hey, you," Darry says.

"Hey yourself," she replies. "Surprised you're not already at work."

"Got cancelled today 'cause of the weather."

"Yeah? Well what're you gonna do with yourself all day?"

"I was hopin' you'd take the day off and come play hooky with me," he replies.

"Hmmm it's tempting," Betty replies. "Don't have many appointments today, and probably half will cancel if the weather's bad."

"'C'mon. Take a day off with me."

Betty giggles. "Pearl, do I look sick?"

He can faintly hear Pearl reply, "oh, awful! You should stay in, honey. I'll vouch for you."

"Guess that seals it," she says. "I'll be there soon."

XXX

The sheets are cool, her body is warm, and he can't believe he went without this for so long. She's running her hands through his hair and kissing him hard. He's kissing back and already has her bra off. It's so much better than work, and he says a silent thank you to the storm that's getting closer by the minute.

She pulls away from his mouth and starts nuzzling and kissing on his neck. He moans softly. Kisses on the neck have always been his weakness. Betty starts rubbing her hands along his back, paying extra attention to his shoulders, which she knows always hurt him. He doesn't think he's ever been so turned on.

"I want…" he pants.

She silences him with a kiss. She starts slowly kissing her way down his neck, his chest, and then to the flat muscles of his stomach. She keeps moving her kisses further and further down.

He tangles a hand in her hair and quietly moans, "glory, yes."

It's so, so much better than work. And after the week he's had, he deserves this.

XXX

Darry sighs contentedly, pulls Betty closer, and kisses her forehead. She's soft and warm in his arms. Outside the rain is coming down in sheets, and the sound of it on the roof is soothing. It's the kind of day that's best spent in bed, and he's glad that he has Betty to spend it with. He's happier with her than he's been in a long time. After three months of dating, a month and a half of which she was his steady girl, he's never been more sure of anything.

"I love you," he murmurs.

Betty smiles and kisses him. "I love you too."

He holds her tight, and the sound of the rain lulls them to sleep.

XXX

There's another storm rolling in. Ponyboy and Sodapop will be home any minute. Darry is sitting on the couch with receipts spread out on the coffee table and a ledger book on his lap. It's times like this when he understands why his boss pays him extra to balance the books. He can't keep organized records to save his life, so sorting everything out and recording it all takes ages. Anyone with half a brain would pawn it off on someone else.

Betty is curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She's putting his arm to sleep, but he doesn't say anything. Having her close to him is worth dealing with a dead arm for a few minutes. If he didn't have so much to do, they would still be in bed.

The door bangs open, and a soaking wet Sodapop steps inside. He holds the door open for a few seconds while waiting for Ponyboy, and a gust of wind blows all the receipts off the table.

"Blast it, Soda!" Darry says.

"Sorry, I'll try to do a better job of controlling the weather next time," Soda says.

He stomps off to the linen closet to get a towel, leaving muddy footprints behind him.

"That's it," Darry mutters. He gets up and follows Soda, leaving Ponyboy and Betty alone in the living room.

Betty starts gathering the receipts that blew off the coffee table, and Ponyboy sits down on the couch. After a minute of awkward silence, Betty says the only thing she can think of.

"Your hair looks really good. The colored part is blending nicely with the roots."

"Thanks," Ponyboy says softly.

He starts going through his pack of cigarettes, trying to find the one that's the driest. In the next room, Sodapop and Darry sound like they're having a heated argument, but it's hard to tell what they're saying through the wall.

"Darry said anything to you?" Ponyboy asks. "He and Soda have been hacked off at each other all week."

Betty sighs. "Something about he and his friend Steve want to join the Army and use their benefits to open an auto shop? I'm sure nothing will come of it. The whole thing is pretty half-baked."

Ponyboy's face goes white. He takes a long drag off his cigarette, and Betty notices his hand is shaking.

"Hey," she says softly. She puts a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be OK."

Ponyboy has barely smoked half his cigarette, but he grinds it out and stands up. He walks off, and a few minutes later, all three brothers are yelling at each other.

"Dear Lord, let a tornado suck me up and take me away," Betty says to herself as she steps out onto the porch.

XXX

She sits alone on the porch watching the storm for almost an hour before she hears the door creak open behind her. A defeated looking Darry joins her on the porch swing.

"I'm sorry," he says.

Betty takes his hand and laces her fingers between his. "It's OK. What's goin' on? Ya'll get somethin' figured out?"

Darry doesn't reply. He just stares absently ahead, watching the rain fall. He doesn't want to tell her, because telling people will only make it more real.

"Darry?" Betty asks.

He shakes his head. "His mind's made up. He's got it in his head that this is a good idea, and he's gonna go. I thought maybe Ponyboy could talk him out of it, 'cause they've always been close, but no dice. Once he's eighteen, it's out of my hands. I can't stop him."

"There's still plenty of time for him to change his mind."

"He's hard headed. It ain't gonna happen."

"Plenty of people go over and come back just fine," Betty says.

"You know, if he dies, me and Pony are the only ones left," Darry says after a minute. "There used to be five of us."

Betty doesn't say anything. She just squeezes his hand.

"And I just think, what if something happens to me? He'll be all on his own and…" his voice trails off and he bites down on his bottom lip. He's too close to crying for comfort.

"If something happens to him, I'm gonna be the only one of the family that's left," he says. His voice cracks on the last word, and he's not sure if it's tears or raindrops running on his face.

Betty brushes away the water droplets on his face and kisses him on the cheek.

"What can I do?" she asks.

He doesn't know what to tell her. There's not a lot she can do. All he knows is that he doesn't want to be alone.

"Just sit with me for a while?" he asks.

"Ok," Betty says softly. "Ok."

* * *

><p>I made Darry's second job book keeping for the roofing company that he works for, because S.E. Hinton said something cryptic on Twitter a while ago that implied that was his second job.<p>

Pearl has a thing about answering the phone in weird ways. It's just her ;)

Hope my "fade to black" love scene wasn't too intense for you guys. I tried to keep it PG.

I always love getting reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Summer comes, and Ponyboy finishes the year with a mix of As and Bs on his report card and the assurance that he still has a spot on the A squad track team for the coming year. He's not quite back to his old self, and Darry is starting to think that he'll never be the same again. But he's at least functioning, which is more than he was able to do back in the fall, and he's even been out with friends almost every night since summer started.

Darry starts getting more hours at work. Roofing jobs are harder work and longer, more tiring days than the inside jobs that he gets during the winter. But they also pay better, and the family is hurting for money, so he can't complain too much. He just wishes that he had more time to spend with his brothers. And also that he had more time to be with Betty, especially if she's in one of those low-cut sundresses that she likes so much.

But Betty doesn't seem to mind Darry's busier work schedule. She comes over most nights after the salon closes and sits quietly next to Darry on the couch. She reads or looks at fashion magazines while he works on bookkeeping or paying bills. They don't do much talking, but every now and then, she'll go in for a kiss or whisper an 'I love you' in his ear. And even though he can't give her his undivided attention, he still loves having her around. Her presence, the fact that she's there and trying her best to make things work means a lot to him. He has a hard time putting how much he appreciates it into words, but after Pony and Soda go to sleep, he tries his best to show her in his bed.

She starts out leaving late at night, but that pretty quickly turns into her sleeping over and leaving early in the morning before Pony and Soda wake up. Then, she and Darry oversleep one morning, and they're forced to face his brothers.

Darry leaves the bedroom first, and Betty sheepishly follows. Ponyboy's eyes get big, and then his face goes bright red. Sodapop just laughs.

"Was wonderin' when you'd stop pretending she's not sleeping over," Soda says.

"You _knew_?" Ponyboy asks.

Sodapop cocks an eyebrow. "You didn't? Glory, Pony, I knew you were a deep sleeper, but this really takes the cake."

Ponyboy is still staring at the two of them in shock. Soda turns to Darry and shrugs.

"Our beds share a wall, and ya'll two ain't exactly quiet."

"You alright over there, Ponyboy?" Betty asks after a few seconds of silence.

Ponyboy nods, but he's still bright red and obviously uncomfortable.

"Just need a smoke," he mumbles as he hurries out of the room.

The screen door slams. Betty and Soda share a look, and then the two of them burst out laughing. Darry just stands in silence. Truth be told, he's almost as embarrassed as Ponyboy.

"We'll move the bed to the other wall," Darry says once their laughter has died down.

Sodapop nods. "I think that would be best."

XXX

Soda comes in late one night in June. The TV is on, but it's off the air. Betty is sitting up reading a magazine, and Darry is asleep with his head on her lap. Soda smirks and Betty touches a finger to her lips, gesturing for Soda to be quiet. He kicks off his shoes, turns off the TV, and then sits down in the armchair.

"How long's he been out?" Soda asks.

Betty shrugs. "Couple hours I guess. Thought about trying to get him up and to bed, but he just looked so peaceful. Gonna give him a while longer to wake up on his own."

Soda nods.

"So you and Steve have fun?" Betty asks. "I'd tell you about how crazy the graduation party I went to was, but, honestly, I don't remember."

He laughs. "Yeah. Guess he had more fun than I did, though. Practically had to carry him to his house. Recon he won't be havin' too much fun tomorrow morning, though."

Betty nods. Darry sighs and slightly shifts his position, but he doesn't wake up.

"I really wish you'd reconsider this Vietnam idea," Betty says after a few minutes of silence. "I mean, I know it's not my place to say so, and he'd hate that I'm telling you all this, 'cause he can't even admit it to himself. But Darry is just scared to death that you won't come back."

Soda sighs and reaches for the pack of cigarettes and lighter on the coffee table.

"I know it," he says. "Hell, even Steve is telling me that I shouldn't feel like I have to go. Ponyboy hasn't quit begging me to stay. But I'm doin' it for him. Maybe Steve and I will get our garage, and maybe we won't. But that don't change the fact that we need all the money we can get for Pony's college."

"You won't do anyone any good if you're dead."

Soda takes a long drag off his cigarette. "That's a risk I've gotta take."

Betty sighs and starts stroking Darry's hair. She knows that she won't change his mind. If his best friend and his brothers can't, then nobody can. But at least she can say she tried.

"You're really good for him, you know that?" Soda says. "Haven't seen him this happy in a long time. He's actin' more like he's twenty-one instead of fifty now that you're around."

"Thanks," Betty says.

"You better not break his heart," Soda says. "Lord knows he's had enough of that. And 'sides, someone's gotta keep him in line while I'm away in the jungle."

Betty smiles and moves her hand down to Darry's back, rubbing small circles on his shoulders.

"I'm not goin' anywhere any time soon," She says. "If anyone's gonna call it quits, it's gotta be him."

XXX

Summer marches on, and with every day that goes by, Darry feels more and more like he's watching a time bomb ticking toward zero. He knows that October will arrive before he knows it, and then there will be nothing stopping Sodapop from leaving. For a while, Darry and Pony talked to Soda almost every day to try and make him change his mind. He can still hear Pony through the wall at night, pleading with Soda to stay.

But Darry has all but given up on changing his brother's mind. After hearing Sodapop justify his decision over and over, he's starting to think he might be right. Most people do come back. Opening an auto shop with Steve is a good future for both of them. But, most importantly, they need the money he'll get for Pony's college. Darry doesn't want to see his youngest brother's dreams slip away like his did because of money.

But he still finds himself laying awake at night, listening to Betty's soft breathing, and trying not to make himself sick from worrying about losing him.

XXX

The screen door opens and quietly closes. Footsteps start, and then Sodapop is standing in the kitchen doorway. He cocks an eyebrow.

"What're you still doin' up?" he asks. "You got work early."

Darry sets down the tumbler that has filled itself with whiskey and then magically drained itself five times over.

"So do you," he says. His words are a little slurred, and he knows he should have paced himself better.

Soda sighs and fills up a glass of water for Darry. He drinks it all in two gulps. He'll need more water than that if he wants to avoid a hangover in the morning. But he'll worry about that later.

"Happy birthday," Darry says.

"Thanks," Soda says. He looks down at his feet.

"Guess you and Steve can go through with your master plan now," Darry says.

"Guess so," Soda replies.

Darry shoves his fists in his pockets. "Stay through the holidays?"

Soda looks up.

"Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas can't be much fun in the army anyway," Darry says. "Just stick around until New Year's. Please?"

Soda is quiet and blank faced for a long minute. Then he finally nods.

"Ok," he says. "Through the holidays."

* * *

><p>Lots of time passing here, but this is just kind of a filler chapter. Not a lot happens until Steve and Soda leave for Vietnam, so I figured this was the best way to write it without dragging the fic out.<p>

I always appreciate reviews! :D


	7. Chapter 7

On New Year's Eve, Betty shaves Soda and Steve's heads in the bathroom. Their bus to boot camp leaves at noon. Just twelve more hours, and then they'll be gone. Ponyboy looks like he's about to cry and has already smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. Darry can't shake the feeling that something awful is going to happen. And all that Steve and Soda can do is talk about their hair. Darry wants to slap them both. They're so stuck on how weird they look bald or how they miss their hair. Neither one of them is mentioning how they're going to be gone for over a year or how there's a very real possibility that they won't come back.

Darry doesn't think he'll ever be able to enjoy New Year's again. First he lost his parents, and now he's losing his brother and one of his oldest friends. It wouldn't matter if he drank a whole bottle of bourbon. Those thoughts will always be in the back of his mind.

He's conflicted. Part of him wants to stay at their little party. He'll sit up all night if that means he gets to spend more time with his brother. But at the same time, he wants to be alone. He hates Ponyboy looking so sad and smoking so much, and he can't stand Steve and Soda making jokes and acting like tomorrow is just going to be another day. But he knows that, whatever he does, he won't sleep tonight.

He's alone in the kitchen, pouring himself another drink, when Betty comes up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist.

"How're you holding up?" she asks.

Darry just sighs and shakes his head. He doesn't want to talk. He doesn't know where to start.

But Betty understands. She just nods and kisses him softly.

"You know I'm here," she says. She pours herself a glass of wine, and then she disappears back into the living room.

Darry takes a few sips straight from his bottle of whiskey before he grabs his glass off the counter and heads back to the living room to join the others.

XXX

Steve rides with them to the bus station. Ponyboy has been crying all morning, Soda is smoking a cigarette, and Steve just stares absently out the window. Darry is clenching his jaw so tightly that he's sure he'll break a tooth. It just doesn't feel real, and he keeps thinking that he'll wake up next to Betty any minute.

But they get to the bus station, and he still doesn't wake up. They park, walk inside, and Steve hangs back to let the brothers say goodbye. Soda's bus leaves in fifteen minutes. It's not long enough. Darry's not ready to tell him goodbye, and he knows he never will be. Ponyboy and Sodapop are hugging. Pony is crying, and Soda is telling him that he'll be back before he knows it. Just in time for graduation, he says. Ponyboy keeps saying that it's not too late to change his mind, but Sodapop just keeps repeating that he'll be back soon. They finally pull apart, and Soda turns to Darry.

There's so much he wants to say, but he can't seem to find the words.

"Be careful," he finally manages. "Use your head."

Soda nods. "Same to you. Don't go knocking Betty up. I ain't ready to be uncle Sodapop."

Darry smiles faintly. Soda sees something in his eyes, and he sighs.

"Don't you worry about me," he says. "You got enough worries. I'm gonna be fine."

"I know," Darry says. But he doesn't believe it. He won't rest easy until Sodapop is back home.

A voice comes on a speaker saying that Soda's bus is about to leave, and then everything seems to move at a freakishly fast speed. The brothers share one last hug, Darry shakes Steve's hand, and then they're gone. Darry is suddenly exhausted and feels like he just got the wind knocked out of him. He felt the same way after his parents' funeral. And just like after their funeral, he's faced with the task of comforting his younger brother. He puts an arm around Pony's shoulder.

"Let's get out of here, little brother," he says. "Let's go home."

XXX

Betty is at the house waiting for them when they get home. Darry doesn't even have a chance to greet her before Ponyboy is in her arms and sobbing into her hair. She gives Darry a confused look and shrugs her shoulders. Darry shakes his head and returns the shrug. Betty starts running her hands up and down Pony's back, softly saying reassurances and trying to get him to calm down. It's just as well. Betty has a way with words that he doesn't, and Ponyboy has really warmed up to her. There's cleaning and work to do, and as much as he hates himself for it, he was dreading spending the day sitting on the couch with Ponyboy and trying to comfort him. He needs to keep moving. He needs to stay distracted.

It's not until he's cleaning the kitchen counter for the third time that he realizes just how much he wishes he had Betty to distract him. And then he remembers the bottle and a half of whiskey in that small, awkward cabinet above the stove. He grabs the half-empty bottle and steps out onto the back porch. Booze and cool, fresh air sounds like as good a distraction as anything.

XXX

He hasn't been this drunk since high school. Even after his parents died and he polished off a case of beer by himself, he managed to avoid the spins. But this time is different. The room is spinning and his stomach is churning, and he knows that he shouldn't have drank so much. But at least now he's numb, and his mind is blank.

The bedroom door creaks open, and then Betty is laying next to him.

"Finally got Ponyboy to sleep," she says. "How're you doing?"

He doesn't reply. He just pulls Betty close and kisses her, letting the taste of alcohol do the talking. She wriggles closer to him once the kiss is over, and he tightens his arms around her. The familiar sound of her breathing is calming, and he falls into a deep, drunk sleep.

* * *

><p>I'd love some reviews! :D<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

The house doesn't feel the same now that Sodapop is gone, and Darry doesn't know how he's going to stand it for a year. They're just over a month in, and he's already sick of it. If he had more time and more money, he would pack up everything and move. Hell, he's even considering it now. A change of scenery won't make him miss Soda any less, but maybe it'll get rid of the empty feeling that seems to have settled over the house.

He feels like he hardly even sees Ponyboy any more. Track started back up, so he has practices after school most days and track meets on Saturdays. He also has group projects in a couple of his classes, so he's spending a lot more time at the library or at his project partners' houses. And then he started taking out a girl, so he's with her some, too. So Darry is forced to be content with only seeing him for a few minutes in the morning and an hour or two at night. He finds himself almost wishing that his brother's grades would slip. At least that way, he'd get to keep him in the house and see more of him.

Darry thanks god every night for Betty. She's trying her best to be around more, and Darry is grateful for that. When she's not snuggled up next to him on the couch, she's helping Ponyboy with his French homework or talking to him about books. On Saturday mornings, she's bouncing around the house doing old Will Rogers High cheers in an attempt to get him excited before track meets, but really she's just getting on his nerves. She's even surprised Darry a couple of times by coming over on her days off and cleaning the house. It's saved his ass when the social worker was about to come by. He still doesn't get to see her as much as he'd like, but it's something. He doesn't know what he'd do without her.

But even with Betty around, he's replaced the fifth of whiskey in that small, awkward cabinet above the stove four times since Soda left. And then there's the beer he's been drinking. He's always been a calm, composed drunk, and he has no problem with holding his liquor. But he's been to work hungover twice, and that's two times too many for him. But at night, when he's home, he's always able to rationalize having one more drink. The only problem is it's never just one more.

He doesn't know if Betty and Ponyboy haven't noticed, or if they have and they're just not saying anything, but he doesn't care. Relatively speaking, he drank more than this on the weekends in high school, and he can cut back whenever he wants to.

XXX

"I don't like that girl," Betty says. There's a bite in her voice that he hasn't heard in a long time.

"She's not related to Linda Carlson," Darry says as he grabs another beer from the fridge. "Don't got any reason to hate her."

"I know that. But she has a bad vibe, you know? I don't trust her."

"She seems fine to me," Darry replies.

"Well, when she breaks his heart, I'll let you clean up the mess."

"Dear Lord," Darry says. He flops down next to Betty on the couch and pulls her in for a kiss.

When they come up for air, Betty's eyes are full of concern.

"Are you OK?" she asks. Her voice is timid, like she's afraid of making him mad.

"Fine," he says. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugs. "It's nothing. You've just been drinking a lot lately, and…"

"Shoot, you know I could drink the whole senior class under the table," he says, cutting her off. He wants her to drop it.

"I know, but you weren't drinking much at all until Sodapop left. Are you sure everything's OK? You know you can talk to me."

He's far from OK. He misses his brother, and even though he's still in the country in Basic, he hasn't heard from him in a week. The thought of him being in Vietnam and having to go a month or more without any word of whether he's alive or not is petrifying. But it's not worth bringing up. Carrying on as if everything is normal has done him well so far.

"I'm fine," he says. He gives Betty another kiss. "What do you say we take advantage of having the house to ourselves?"

He knows that Betty can't say no. He kisses her hard and pulls her onto his lap. His half-finished beer sits forgotten on the coffee table. With any luck, the talk about his drinking will also be forgotten.

XXX

The track scouts start sniffing around toward the end of April, and it reminds Darry of his high school days playing football. The football scouts watched him and seemed so interested and promised him everything in his wildest dreams if he would sign on with them. The truth, when it came out, was heartbreaking. They would hardly cover half of his expenses for college, and he was forced to watch his dreams crumble in front of him.

Now, he's watching the same thing happen with Ponyboy, and he wonders if they're just being naïve. The whole family has been banking on him getting scholarships for athletics and academics, even though Darry wasn't able to get the same thing just a few years earlier. He tells himself that there are fewer track stars than football players, so Ponyboy has a better chance. But that fear is still in the back of his mind. They have even less money now than they did when he was looking at colleges. Darry knows it would crush his youngest brother if he wasn't able to go to college, and he's going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen.

XXX

The summer before Ponyboy's senior year comes, and Oklahoma State is the most interested. They're practically begging Ponyboy to enroll and offering him close to a full ride. They want him to come tour the first Wednesday of summer vacation. But Darry has a big project going on at work, and there's no way he can skip out a day without getting on his boss's bad side.

But then Betty volunteers to take him over to Stillwater. Wednesday is usually her day off anyway. She went to State for a year, so she'll be good for showing him around. And as much as Darry hates that he can't go with them, he agrees to let her take him. It's just one campus visit, and he's sure that he'll get an opportunity to go somewhere with him later on.

* * *

><p>I don't know if I made this clear, but I probably didn't. Betty went to Oklahoma State for a year to appease her parents, and then when she hated it, she dropped out and went to beauty school. Based on my own rush experience, I imagined her as being an Alpha Delta Pi while she was there. I tried to see if they were at OSU at the time, but their website kinda sucks :-

Reviews always make my day! :D


	9. Chapter 9

It's the morning of Ponyboy's scheduled visit to Oklahoma State, and they're all standing outside in the driveway. It's hardly seven-thirty, but they can already tell it's going to be a hot and humid day. Darry is dreading going out to the job site. Working around all that hot tar is going to be miserable.

"I'm real sorry I can't go with you," Darry says.

Ponyboy shrugs. "It's OK."

"We'll have fun," Betty says. "I'll show him all the liquor stores that don't ask for ID so he can buy beer underage, introduce him to my pot dealer friends, show him how to sneak into the bars, point out all the best party houses…"

"Jesus Christ," Darry says. He knows Betty is joking, but it's too early and too hot and he's too tired for this.

Betty squeezes his hand. "It'll be fine, Dar. We'll go to the library or something. Good, clean fun. Honestly, it's like you think I'm some kind of criminal."

Darry sighs. He's regretting not having that second cup of coffee. He knows that his brother is in good hands with Betty, but that doesn't make him feel any less guilty that he can't go with them.

"Sorry. Just be careful."

"Only if you promise not to work to hard," Betty says.

Darry smiles. "I won't."

"Good, then we'll be careful," Betty says. "We'll see you tonight."

Darry gives her a kiss goodbye, and then she and Ponyboy get in her car. Darry gets in his truck, and they go their separate ways.

At a stoplight on the way out of town, Betty puts on a pair of Jackie Kennedy sunglasses, looks over at Ponyboy, and smiles mischievously.

"What happens in Stillwater stays in Stillwater. It'll be our little secret."

Ponyboy laughs. "Darry'll kill you if he even thinks you let me drink."

Betty smiles and shakes her head. "When he was your age, Darry was doing shots and keg stands at lakehouse parties every weekend."

Ponyboy is well aware of his brother's past. He knows he spent weekends partying at his Soc friends' houses, even though it's not something that Darry readily talks to him about. But he figures that Betty will be more open, and it's almost two hours to Stillwater. They need to make conversation somehow.

"Got any embarrassing stories?" Ponyboy asks.

"About Darry?" Betty says. "No, he's never been a crazy drunk. Me, on the other hand, I'll just say I don't wanna talk about it and leave it at that."

She's quiet for a few seconds, and then she starts to laugh.

"Wait, I do have one good one. So this one time, we were at our friend Barry Brady's lake house for a party. Darry and Paul Holden had split a bottle of Jack, so they were both pretty trashed, and they were on the dock tossing a football back and forth. Then Darry doesn't catch the ball, and it goes in the water. So he says, 'hang on! I'll get it!', and then he jumps into the lake still wearing his clothes and shoes and everything. As drunk as we was, it's a wonder he didn't drown. God knows none of us were in a state to go in and save him."

"Think he'd ground me until I left for college if he found out I did something like that," Ponyboy says once he's done laughing at the story.

"He had some wild times," Betty says. "But it was different then. He had to grow up too fast. You both did. You should've had a chance to get drunk and smoke grass and be stupid while you were still in high school like we did."

Ponyboy nods and takes his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Can I smoke?"

"Sure."

They're quiet while Ponyboy smokes his cigarette.

"I know he's hard on you, and he wouldn't let you get away with half the stuff he did, but it's because he loves you. You're all the family that's left, and he doesn't want to lose you," Betty says.

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…"

"Well, it's the truth."

Ponyboy lights another cigarette. He's getting more nervous the closer they get to Stillwater.

"You really love him?" he asks.

She smiles without even realizing she's doing it and nods. "I really do."

"What's it like?"

Betty sighs. She's still smiling. "I don't know. I'm happy when we're together, and I miss him when we're apart. I don't wanna' think about my future if he's not in it. I'd do anything to make him happy. I just know, you know?"

Ponyboy is quiet for a minute. He starts absently flicking his lighter open and closed.

"I don't think I love Cathy."

"I never liked her," Betty says flatly.

Then, after a pause, "I'm sorry. That was rude."

But Ponyboy is smiling faintly. "It's OK."

"Just don't worry about it today, alright?" Betty says. "She's not here, so just put her out of your mind. Don't let her ruin this for you. Let's have some fun while we're here. You've earned it."

"OK," Ponyboy says. He puts his lighter and his cigarettes back in his pocket. "OK."

And they do have fun. Ponyboy meets with the track coaches, and they seem even more impressed with him after their meeting. He knows that nothing is set in stone yet, but they've all but offered him a full ride. Then he and Betty walk around the campus for a while. She shows him her old dorm building, her sorority's house, and the fraternity house that always has the best parties. They go by the library on their way off campus. And on their way out of town, she points out one of the liquor stores that doesn't ask to see an ID.

* * *

><p>Hopefully this wasn't too boring. I just wanted to do a Ponyboy and Betty chapter, and this seemed like a good opportunity. It also let me relive some of my crazy college times...<p>

I would love some reviews! :D


	10. Chapter 10

Ponyboy is sitting on the couch with a book open on his lap and a cigarette burning down between his fingers when Betty arrives. He looks up at her, and she notices his eyes are red. He's been crying.

"I broke up with Cathy," he says.

She feels bad for being happy. Betty never liked Cathy, and she knew she wasn't good for Ponyboy. But she still hates seeing him sad. She feels like he's her little brother, too. She sits down next to him and gives him a hug.

"You're better off without her. Ya'll weren't right for each other. And besides, you didn't love her. You need to be with someone you love."

He nods. "Still hurts."

She notices the book he's reading, tightens her hug, and kisses the top of his head.

"Someday, you'll meet a girl, and it'll be worth it to build a mansion across the river just so you can be close," she says.

"That's how you feel about Darry?" Pony asks.

"Just call me Gatsby. But I hope no one kills me in my swimming pool."

Ponyboy smiles. "Thanks, Betty."

"Je vous en prie."

There's a sound of brakes squealing in the driveway. Betty jumps up and touches her index finger to her lips.

"I was never here," she says. She darts into Darry's bedroom and closes the door behind her.

Ponyboy rolls his eyes and tries to go back to his book. But he knows what they're going to do, and he's blushing something fierce.

XXX

Darry is exhausted from his day at work, and after taking a shower, all he wants is to nap for a while. With any luck, he'll be woken up by Betty snuggling up to him and kissing on his back. He could use some fun.

He almost jumps out of his skin when he hears someone say, "hey there, handsome," from the direction of his bed.

He turns around to see that Betty is already naked in his bed and motioning seductively for him to join her. Any fear he felt is forgotten, and he suddenly finds more energy. He's under the covers next to her before she can blink.

"What'd I do to deserve you?" he breathes into her neck.

"What didn't you do?" she whispers in his ear and then gives it a playful nip.

She pushes him onto his back, and then she's on top of him, kissing and nipping along his collarbone. He loves it when she's on top, with her breasts in the perfect place for him to play with and kiss on, and her taking charge and kissing him all over. She knows what he likes, and she has a way of doing everything just right, being quick about getting him there and pushing him over the edge so he can get some much needed sleep. This time is no different, and it's not long until that familiar warm, tingly feeling takes over. She kisses him deeply, and he moans against her lips.

She smiles down at him, gives him another kiss, and cuddles up next to him.

"I love you," he mumbles sleepily as he pulls her close. "I love you so much."

Betty kisses his neck and whispers, "I love you too."

But her words fall on deaf ears. Darry is already asleep. All she can do is bury her face in his chest and give him kisses until she's asleep herself.

XXX

He's fighting hard to stay awake long enough to pay their bills and balance the checkbook, but he can't make sense of the numbers, his vision is swimming, and he can feel his eyes rolling back in his head. The air conditioner is fighting a losing battle against the late August heat, and the warm house is making him sleepier. He rubs his eyes and shakes his head, trying to wake himself up. But as soon as he looks down at the papers in his lap, he starts to nod off again. He's regretting drinking so much last night, and he's having second thoughts about the glass of bourbon he had before he sat down to work. He should know better by now.

He'll just close his eyes for a few minutes. Ponyboy will be home soon, and he'll wake him up. If nothing else, Betty will wake him up when she comes over, and he'll just stay up late working.

He's starting to drift when he's startled awake by a scream. His blood runs cold. It's Ponyboy. Something's happened to Sodapop, he just knows it.

But when Ponyboy throws the door open, he has a big smile on his face.

"We got a letter from Sodapop!"

He's relieved, but his heart is still beating a mile a minute. He needs a drink.

The brothers devour the letter. Sodapop says it's rainy and hot, but things are fine other than that. He's honestly a little bored. He likes everyone in his platoon, though, and they get along well. They go on patrols every day, but he still hasn't seen combat. One guy went swimming in a pond and came out with leeches, and the medic had to cut them off of him with a Swiss Army Knife.

He's included a few 3x5s of himself and Steve and some of their army buddies. There's one of them posing with guns and trying to look tough, one of Sodapop sitting on a tank, one of Steve sitting in a tent and smoking a cigarette, and one of a bunch of guys holding a huge snake.

"He looks happy," Ponyboy says softly.

Darry nods. "Glad he's OK. Just hope he stays that way."

"Me too."

It's quiet for a minute, and then Ponyboy sighs a long, shaking sigh.

"I miss him," he says. He sounds like he's about to cry.

Darry puts an arm around his shoulders. "Me too, buddy. But at least now we know he's OK, right? He'll be back before we know it."

He nods. "I guess."

They sit in silence for a few minutes, and then Ponyboy sighs, shrugs out of Darry's hug and stands up.

"I've got homework. But do you wanna write him back later tonight?"

"Yeah. Ok."

Ponyboy disappears into his bedroom, and Darry buries his head in his hands.

He's glad to hear from his brother, and he's relieved that he's alive. But at the same time, getting the letter and seeing the pictures makes everything more real. He'd been trying his best to pretend that Sodapop is just at work or on a date or out with friends. Of course he knows the truth, but it's easier to put it out of mind. He finally gets why Ponyboy is always reading books and going to the movies. It's an escape. And lately, he's been needing an escape himself.

Darry misses Sodapop with a pain that's like a knife through his chest. He forces himself up off the couch and into the kitchen. He grabs the bourbon from the small, awkward cabinet above the stove and takes a big gulp straight from the bottle.

* * *

><p>Ponyboy was reading <em>The Great Gatsby<em>, which is property of F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"Je vous en prie" is a French way of saying you're welcome. You use it after someone has thanked you, and it basically means "no, thank _you._"

I'd love some reviews! :D


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I am so sorry..._

* * *

><p>They send Sodapop a birthday card a whole month before his birthday. They also include a three-page letter, a picture of Darry and Betty making out on the porch swing that one of Ponyboy's friends took as a joke, and another picture of Ponyboy holding his acceptance letter to Oklahoma State. But they still don't know if he'll get it in time. God only knows how long it takes to get mail out in the jungle.<p>

They've taped the pictures that Soda sent them to the fridge. Ponyboy thinks that it makes him seem less far away. Darry feels exactly the opposite, but he doesn't say anything. Ponyboy will only be home for a couple more months, and he wants it to go as smoothly as possible. It's not worth starting a fight over.

It hurts every time he goes to the fridge for a beer and has to see the pictures. That should have been enough to get him to cut back on drinking, but all it does is make him drink more liquor.

Sodapop's birthday comes and goes, and they're both very aware that he isn't there. If he's lucky, he's celebrating somewhere in the jungle, but there's a distinct possibility that he's dead, and it's weighing on them more than usual. Ponyboy flunks a pop quiz in math, Darry yells, and then feels guilty. After Ponyboy goes to bed, he drinks more than half a bottle of bourbon over the course of two hours, and then he spends the early hours of the morning hugging the toilet while Betty sits beside him and rubs small circles on his back. He goes to work dehydrated, sleep deprived, and miserable. The smell of the tar is nauseating, and he has to excuse himself multiple times to get sick off the side of the roof. It's a wonder he doesn't fall off, and he's been sent home before the end of his second hour at the job site.

He goes straight to the shower once he's home, turns the water on cold, and lets the icy water pound on his back. There's no one around, but he's still trying as hard as he can not to cry.

There's only one thought running through his head. _Is this what rock bottom feels like?_

XXX

They get another letter from Sodapop around Christmas. He got their card close to his birthday. It was only a week and a half late. He gushes about how proud he is of Ponyboy for getting into college and getting all his scholarships, and he also says that he won't be surprised at all if Betty is pregnant when he gets back.

He's seen some fighting now, but he doesn't think it counts as real combat. They stumbled on a few Cong while they were out on a patrol, but some of the more experienced guys took them out pretty quick. He doesn't go into much detail about it, and Darry isn't sure if it's because he's so shaken up about it or because he doesn't want to worry them. It's probably a little bit of both.

Things are uneventful other than that. They play cards a lot and try their best to keep cool and dry. He says that he misses them. Only five more months, and then he'll be back. He's hoping that he'll be able to watch Ponyboy graduate.

Darry sits up late that night, looking at the Christmas tree that Betty insisted on putting up, and she and Ponyboy decorated with their mother's old ornaments. He should be happy. Their hard work paid off, and Ponyboy is going to be able to go to college in the fall. Sodapop seems to be in a relatively safe place in Vietnam, and if things keep up, he'll be home in less than six months. Betty isn't showing any signs of being tired of him, and she and Ponyboy haven't said anything about his drinking.

Things are as good as they can be, but he can't shake the gnawing feeling in his gut that something is going to go very wrong, and it's going to happen very soon.

XXX

When Valentine's Day comes, they haven't heard from Soda in two months. Darry wants to ask Betty to marry him, but he chickens out at the last minute. He only has two hundred dollars to his name, and he doesn't want to marry her while he's broke.

XXX

Two more letter exchanges and a telegram later, and Sodapop is going to be home a week after Ponyboy's graduation. They're all disappointed that he won't be there in time to see the ceremony, but they're counting their blessings that he's alive and will be home soon. But Darry is still nervous. Ponyboy and Betty are acting like he's already safe and sound back in Tulsa, but he won't rest easy until Soda is actually home.

XXX

The night before Ponyboy's graduation, Darry can't sleep. Betty is warm and soft next to him, and he wants nothing more than to spend the night holding her. But he can't quiet his mind enough to fall asleep, and staying in bed is just making him restless. He sighs, rolls out of bed, walks into the kitchen, and grabs the bottle.

He's sitting on the couch looking through an old photo album when he hears a door creak open. Footsteps start toward the living room, and then Betty is sitting next to him.

"What's going on, hon?" she asks. "Come to bed."

He shakes his head and takes a swig from the bottle. "Can't sleep."

"What's the matter?"

He sighs. "I don't know. I just have this feeling that something awful is going to happen to Soda before he gets home. It's stupid."

"It's not stupid. It makes perfect sense that you're worried about him. It's gonna be OK."

"I don't know, Betty. I just don't know."

He closes his eyes and leans back against the couch. The room starts slowly tilting from side to side and then starts to spin.

"Drank a bit tonight, huh?" Betty says softly.

She eases the bottle out of his hand, and he lets himself tilt to the side until he's lying down on the couch. Betty mumbles something that sounds like, "oh, honey", and covers him up with a blanket.

She sits beside him on the arm of the couch and holds his hand until he's asleep.

XXX

They're all in good spirits after Ponyboy's graduation. Darry's hangover is mostly gone, Pony has a party to go to later, and Sodapop will be home in a week. He's starting to realize that he was shaken up last night over nothing. Everything is going to be fine.

He turns onto St. Louis, and there's a nice car parked in front of their house.

"Is it Social Services?" Pony askes. "I didn't think Mr. Harris was gonna' come by today. He got a new car."

Darry pulls into the driveway, and his heart stops. There's a strange man on their front porch. He's wearing a military uniform.

His first thought is that he should cover Ponyboy's eyes and drive away. Maybe he hasn't seen yet. But Darry is paralyzed. When he finally is able to turn around to face him, he's sheet white and shaking. He's seen the man on the porch.

They walk to the house in what feels like slow motion. His body feels both hot and cold at the same time. His mind is shut down- a total blank.

He makes eye contact with the stranger, and he says the three words that he was dreading hearing but knew were coming.

"I'm terribly sorry."

* * *

><p>This was part of Outsider Fic Jesus's Plan all along. I know, I'm the George R.R. Martin of Outsiders fic.<p>

I am terribly sorry. Tear me a new one.


	12. Chapter 12

Just like after his parents died, he goes into survival mode. Accept the military man's condolences and the information about how to make funeral arrangements, hold Ponyboy close and let him cry, call Two-Bit because he'll want to know even though he hasn't been around much, reassure Betty and hand Ponyboy over to her. Don't think. Don't think. Don't think.

He goes into the kitchen, pours himself a drink, and reads the pamphlets. He makes all the phone calls he can and makes a note of the places he needs to call tomorrow, calls his boss to arrange time off, and pours himself another drink. He takes out the yellow legal pad and a pen to try to write an obituary, finishes his drink, and makes a third. He has to think about Sodapop. He doesn't want to think. He gives up on pouring the liquor into the glass and starts drinking straight from the bottle.

In the living room, Ponyboy is still sobbing into Betty's hair. Betty is also crying but trying her hardest to comfort Pony. She looks up at Darry, and they lock eyes. The front door opens, and they all jump. It's Two-Bit's mom, and she's holding a casserole dish.

"Oh, honey," she says to Darry. She sets the dish down on the table and hugs him.

"How are you holding up?" she asks.

He shrugs. He really doesn't know. The only reason he's keeping it together is because he's forcing himself not to think. He's doing what needs to be done and keeping emotion out of it. It's what he did after his parents died, and it worked just fine. But it's so much harder this time around.

"Oh, I just can't believe this," Ms. Mathews says. "How can one family have so much tragedy? I don't know what to say. I'm just so sorry."

"Thank you," Darry says. It's the only thing he can think of.

She sighs and shakes her head. "Keith is just inconsolable. Poor thing, I was almost afraid to leave him alone to come over here."

Darry nods and gestures toward the couch. "Pony, too. Worse this time than with our parents 'cause he doesn't have…"

He can't finish the sentence. He can't make himself think.

"What can I do?" Ms. Mathews asks.

There's not much she can do. He can't ask her to stay and comfort Ponyboy, and he can't ask her to finish making the funeral arrangements or write the obituary. She can't bring Sodapop back.

"Just keep an eye on Two-Bit," Darry says. "Don't wanna lose him, too."

"I will. When's the funeral?"

"Day after tomorrow. Noon."

She nods. "You let me know if you need anything at all."

"I will. Thanks, Ellen."

She gives him another hug, and then she's gone.

Darry looks over at Betty. Her eyes are a little teary, but also big and warm and sympathetic. He wants to lay his head on her other shoulder and cry, but he can't. There's still too much to do. And if he gives in to his emotions, he doesn't think he'll be able to snap out of it. So he just gives Betty a kiss, squeezes Ponyboy's shoulder, and goes back into the kitchen.

He doesn't have enough liquor to deal with this.

XXX

The sun hasn't been down for long when he notices that the house is totally silent. A few minutes later, and Betty's arms wrap around his shoulders.

"Think he's all cried out for a while," Betty says. "'Can give you some attention now."

"I'm fine," Darry says. He hates how his voice comes out strained, like he's about to cry.

"You don't have to lie for me," she says. "You're allowed to grieve, too."

"You've gotta take off that brave face sometime," Betty says after a few minutes of silence.

Darry sighs heavily. He's gotten so good at bottling up his emotions, being there for his brothers, and taking care of them instead of himself. But now Betty is hugging him, wanting him to talk about it, and he's so close to giving in. He's so close to losing his cool and breaking down.

"Why'd it have to be him?" he asks in that same, strained tone. "Why'd it have to be Soda? Haven't we been through enough? I just… I don't understand."

She tightens her hug and kisses him on the cheek.

"I know, honey," she whispers. "I know."

He pulls her onto his lap. He wraps his arms around her waist, and she keeps her arms around his shoulders and rests her head against his chest. They sit in silence, holding each other, until Ponyboy wakes up and starts crying again.

XXX

Ponyboy whimpers and rolls over for what has to be the hundredth time. It's gonna be a bad night's sleep for him, but at least he's been able to doze off some. Darry has just been lying next to his brother, staring up at the ceiling, and trying his best not to think.

He's regretting sending Betty home. He knew Ponyboy wouldn't want to sleep alone tonight, and he didn't want to make Betty sleep on the couch. The three of them sharing the bed would have been cramped and awkward.

But now he's awake and alone with the thoughts that he's so desperately trying not to indulge, and he's wishing he had some company. Betty could distract him if she was there. They could sit up and talk or just walk aimlessly around the yard until he's worn out. Anything at all to keep his mind occupied. He's going crazy in his bed, listening to Ponyboy crying in his sleep and getting kicked every few minutes when he rolls over. He'd drink himself to sleep, but he's all out of liquor.

He gets out of bed and walks into the living room. He stares down at the phone and debates calling Betty. If not for Pearl, he would have already called her. But Pearl wouldn't be too thrilled about being woken up at three in the morning. Then again, surely Betty told her what happened. Maybe she'll understand.

He's just picked up the phone when he hears a sniffle, and a hoarse voice says, "Darry?"

He looks up, and Ponyboy is standing in the doorway.

"It's OK, Pony," he sighs. "Come here."

Ponyboy shuffles over to the couch, flops down next to Darry, and buries his face in his neck. He starts crying again, and Darry wraps an arm around his shoulders.

"I want Sodapop," Pony sobs.

Darry sighs and closes his eyes tight. "I know. I do too."

XXX

Betty is overdressed in her cute black dress, black pumps, and black pillbox hat with the birdcage veil, but Darry doesn't care. If he can't stop looking at her and thinking about how all he wants to do is tear her clothes off, then he won't be thinking about how the body in the casket is Soda's.

They drive to the cemetery in silence. Betty keeps a hand on Darry's knee and lets Pony lean on his shoulder. He looks like he's starting to doze off, and Darry hopes he does. He's hardly slept the past couple of nights, and even a short nap would do him some good.

There are a few people already standing around the gravesite when they get there. And there's the casket, with an American flag draped over it. Darry quickly averts his eyes. He can't look at it. He can't think about who's in it.

Someone grabs him and pulls him into a hug. It's Two-Bit. His eyes are red, and there are fresh tears on his face. He's grown a beard, and Darry honestly can't remember the last time he saw him. Has it really been over a year?

"I can't believe this," Two-Bit says. "Your folks, and then Johnny and Dal, and now Sodapop. Christ, is this whole neighborhood built on an Indian burial ground?"

"Reckon it must be," Darry says.

"Pony," Two-Bit says as he hugs him. "I'm so sorry."

Ponyboy nods and barely manages a, "thanks". His voice is almost gone because he's been crying so much.

Two-Bit takes a flask out of his coat pocket, takes a sip, and offers it to Darry. He gratefully accepts it.

"Who's the Kennedy?" Two-Bit asks after he takes another drink from the flask.

"I'm Betty," she says. "Darry's girlfriend."

"My condolences," Two-Bit says with a half-hearted smile. Betty snickers.

They spend a few more minutes mingling with the small crowd, and then the service starts. Betty is squeezing Darry's hand, and he's resting his free hand on Ponyboy's knee. Two-Bit is sniffling a few seats down from them, but Pony still hasn't cried. He's just staring blankly ahead. He looks as numb and hollow as Darry feels.

The minister drones on in his somber tone about God's plan and how this is all a part of it, and Darry keeps stealing glances at Betty. He keeps telling himself to look at her and not at the casket. He has to think about tonight and what might happen if he's lucky and not about how that's Sodapop up there in that box.

He can't think about how he'll never see those laughing brown eyes as he teases him ever again. He can't think about how there will be no more green pancakes, blue sugar cookies, or too-sweet chocolate cake. He'll never get to listen to his rambling but still interesting stories about his day at the DX or his night out with Steve. There's no one to sing horribly off-key Elvis songs in the morning or rub his back when he's pulled a muscle. He can't think about how his brother is gone for good, just like his parents.

His vision blurs, and he makes a choking sound. He hasn't cried in so long that he's forgotten what it feels like, and he doesn't think fast enough to stop it. Ponyboy looks shocked. Betty lets go of Darry's hand and starts running her hand up and down his back.

Darry Curtis buries his head in his hands. And for the first time in years, he lets himself cry.

* * *

><p>Long, depressing chapter, but I figured it was best to get all the super sads over with in one fell swoop. And FYI, I cried as I was finishing writing this chapter. So I'm not totally heartless!<p>

I'd love some reviews!


	13. Chapter 13

Self control? Pacing? What is that! Write something, publish something!

* * *

><p>Darry both loves and hates the attention. The comfort is nice. It feels good to have people hugging him and patting him on the back and offering him handkerchiefs. It's reassuring. But, at the same time, he hates that he has to be out in front of God and everybody during his weakest moment. He can't remember the last time he was vulnerable like this, but it's been years. It was probably back when he was a little kid.<p>

He's relieved when the service is over. His thoughts about staying behind to stand by the grave and remember Sodapop are gone. He just wants to be alone during this rare moment of weakness.

Ellen Mathews gives him a hug, and Two-Bit pats him on the back.

"I'll be around, OK?" he says.

Darry nods. He knows that Two-Bit won't come by.

Two-Bit and his mom walk off. Darry takes the keys to the truck out of his pocket and holds them out to Betty.

"Can you drive stick?"

She nods. "I'm sure I'll remember how."

She grinds the clutch some at first, and she drives in the right lane under the speed limit, but at least she's holding her own.

Ponyboy taps him on the shoulder, and when Darry turns to look at him, Pony pulls him into a hug. The two surviving members of the Curtis family hold each other until they're home.

XXX

Darry gives Betty a pleading look. She nuzzles his neck and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Go on to bed," she says softly. "You need sleep. I'll be there soon."

He starts toward his bedroom, and she turns to Ponyboy.

"You OK?" she asks.

He nods. "As good as I can be."

She hugs him and kisses the top of his head.

"I'm gonna go sit with Darry for a while. You don't hesitate to come in if you need us."

He nods. "Think I'm just gonna watch TV for a while."

Betty nods and gives him another hug.

"Love you, little brother."

"You too. And thanks."

XXX

Betty bought a bottle of Maker's Mark before the funeral, and she brings it and a glass full of ice into Darry's room. She half expects him to be asleep, but he's wide-awake. His eyes are red and puffy from crying.

"Ponyboy?" he asks.

Betty sits down next to him on the bed and opens the bottle.

"Very enthralled by _Let's Make a Deal_," she soothes. She hands the glass to Darry.

"I should check on him," he says. He starts to stand up, but Betty holds her arm out in front of him.

"He's well aware of where to come if he needs anything. This is about you."

Darry sighs and takes a sip from the glass. It's better than the cheap stuff he's been buying. Betty starts running a hand up and down his back, and he takes another sip. They sit in silence with Betty gently rubbing his back until he drains the glass. She refills it for him and softly kisses his cheek.

"Penny for your thoughts," she whispers in his ear.

He doesn't have many thoughts. But there's a dull ache all over his body, it feels like there's a gaping hole in his chest, and the only thing on his mind is Sodapop.

"Soda," he says softly.

Betty nods and squeezes his hand.

"I know, honey. I know."

He finishes the glass, takes the bottle from Betty, and starts drinking straight from it. Betty just holds him and lets him drink. In the back of his mind, he knows that he shouldn't be drinking so much. Ponyboy might need him, and he won't be much good if he's drunk. But the thought of being numb is so appealing, and Betty is there and sober. So he drinks until the room starts to spin and he can't focus his eyes, and then falls back against the pillows.

Betty starts softly singing to him. He doesn't recognize the song, but her voice is soothing. His eyes fall closed, and he drifts off to sleep.

XXX

He wakes up with a start, drenched in a cold sweat and sandwiched between Ponyboy and Betty. The clock reads half past four in the morning. He takes a gulp from the glass on the nightstand and then starts coughing and gagging. He thought it was water, but it's whiskey. He doesn't mind, and Ponyboy and Betty don't wake up. He finishes the glass before laying back down. He closes his eyes, tries to think happy thoughts, and listens to his bedmates' breathing. It's not long until he's asleep again.

XXX

"You don't have to do this," Betty says. "He'll understand if you need more time off."

She's worried about him. Darry has been through four bottles of whiskey in the past week. He stays up drinking and pacing around the house or sitting on the porch swing all night, and her attempts at calming him down and trying to get him to sleep never work. But he always drinks himself to sleep by the morning. Ponyboy is on a totally different schedule. He falls asleep in the early evening, sleeps fitfully through the night, and then gets up around the time that Darry passes out.

Betty is exhausted. She took time off work to look after them, and she's being generous if she says she's had twelve hours of sleep all week. The liquid in her veins is probably more coffee than blood. But it's worth it. She's the loving, nurturing type, and she'll do anything for the man she's convinced is her soul mate and his little brother who she thinks of as family.

Darry sighs and picks up his tool belt. He's battling a hangover, and he doesn't really want to go back. But he knows it's the best thing for him. If he has a distraction, he won't spend the whole day drinking. If he has a distraction, he won't think about Soda.

"I'll be fine," he says. "I'll just do half a day if I need to. I've just gotta get out and do something."

Betty sighs and nods. "Please be careful. Come right home if you don't think you can go through with this."

"I will," he says. He gives Betty a kiss. "'Love you."

"Love you, too."

The truck's engine roars to life and then gradually gets quieter as it rolls out of the driveway and starts down the street. Betty turns her tired eyes to Ponyboy.

"What do you wanna do, _mon canard_?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Sleep?"

She nods. "Sounds good to me. Guess I'm gonna go to Dar's bed, though. This couch is awful."

Ponyboy lays back in the recliner and closes his eyes. "I'll be here."

She wakes up a few hours later to Ponyboy cuddled up next to her in Darry's bed. She wraps an arm around his shoulders and goes back to sleep.

XXX

The screen door opens, and Darry is standing next to him. He's holding a beer, and his breath reeks of whiskey.

"Happy birthday," he says. His speech is clumsy from the alcohol. "You ready to be rid of sixteen?"

Ponyboy nods. "Been a bad year. Past several years have been bad, really."

They stand in silence for a few minutes, listening to the cicadas and watching the lightning bugs. Ponyboy lights a cigarette, and Darry takes a sip of his beer.

"Pony, if you don't wanna go through with OSU, I'll understand," Darry finally says. "We can get you into Tulsa or community college or somethin'. Hell, you can take a year off. You've got a whole year before you've gotta worry about the draft. I don't want you to feel like you have to do this 'cause of me."

"I know," Ponyboy says. "Been thinkin' about it all summer."

"And?"

Ponyboy takes a deep breath. "I wanna go to State."

"You're sure?"

Pony nods. "I wanna get out of here. I need to leave all of this behind; get a fresh start. If I stay here, all I'll do is wallow and think about how much I miss Soda. Tulsa's no good for me any more."

"Whatever you need to do," Darry says. He's fighting the urge to beg his brother to stay.

Ponyboy grinds out his cigarette and looks up at Darry.

"I need to go to Stillwater."

XXX

Pony's roommate is a guy from Omaha named Dave who seems nice enough. They're both quiet and English majors, and Ponyboy says they stayed up all night talking about JD Salinger. It calms Darry's nerves some, but he's still apprehensive about leaving his youngest brother all alone, especially after the past couple of months.

But Ponyboy seems strong and confident as he hugs Darry and Betty goodbye. He really does seem ready to start over.

"Be good," Darry says. "Don't do anything stupid. Go to class."

Ponyboy rolls his eyes. "I will."

"Never take drinks from strangers," Betty says. "Let others smoke the grass first to make sure it's not laced with something."

Darry shoots her a look, and Ponyboy laughs. "You know it."

They share one last hug, and then Ponyboy and Dave disappear back into the dorm building.

At the truck, Darry takes a pint of Sailor Jerry out of the glove box and downs half of it in a few big gulps.

"Want me to drive?" Betty asks.

Darry hiccups and climbs into the passenger seat. "Please."

He watches the campus get smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror until it's gone. He buries his head in his hands and sighs.

"Come here," Betty says.

He slides across the seat and rests his head on her shoulder. Even with Betty, he's never felt more alone and empty. If he didn't have her, and he had to make this drive back to an empty house all alone, he knows the desire to wrap the truck around a tree would be overwhelming. And it scares him.

"He's gonna be OK," Betty says softly.

"I know," Darry replies.

But he's not convinced. And even if Ponyboy is OK, Darry isn't sure that he'll be OK himself.

* * *

><p>"Mon canard" literally means "my duck", but it's like a French term of endearment. Betty helped Ponyboy with French homework while he was in school, and they speak French together sometimes. Darry took Spanish and is out of the loop, haha.<p>

Thank you to all my readers! I'd love it if you all reviewed to let me know how I'm doing! :D


	14. Chapter 14

The first week or so that he was away at school, Ponyboy called every night. But now that it's mid-September, classes are in full swing, and he has his new friends to hang out with, he's calling less. Darry hasn't heard from him in over a week. He's glad that Pony seems to be having a good time, but he hates not hearing from him. He misses him. Walking past the bedroom that Pony and Soda used to share makes his heart hurt. He can't stand looking in it and seeing Soda's things that he didn't get to come home to. Even with the door closed, he's still aware of what's behind it. He's still aware that Sodapop will never see that room again.

He's lonely. The house is cavernous and too quiet now that it's just him. He remembers a time when the house always seemed crowded and loud, and he would have given anything to have the place to himself for a couple of days. Now that he has it, he hates it. He keeps the TV on to make the place feel less empty, but it doesn't help much. He'll hate to see the house that he grew up in go, but he's seriously considering moving. He doesn't know if he can handle staying there.

Darry tries his best to stay distracted with work and quiet his thoughts with alcohol, but he knows Betty is the reason why he hasn't totally lost it. They might as well be living together. She keeps her cosmetics in the bathroom and some of her clothes and shoes in his closet. She comes over almost every night after the salon closes, and she doesn't leave until they both go to work the next morning.

She spends the evenings curled up next to him on the couch while he works or watches TV. She tells him stories about her day at work and gives him kisses in an attempt to distract him and keep him from drinking so much, but it doesn't work. He falls into a fitful, drunken sleep in her arms every night, and he's woken up hungover more times than he wants to admit.

But although they're practically roommates, Betty still spends one or two nights a week at her old place. She says it's because she doesn't want Pearl getting too lonely, but Darry wonders if it's really because she needs a break from him every now and then. Whatever the reason, he hates those nights when she's gone. He always drinks too much because so lonely, and he always ends up falling asleep with his head in the toilet for a few hours before he's able to drag himself to bed. And the next morning, he's always hungover and miserable when he gets to the job site, and he doesn't work as hard as he should. He's afraid that his boss is starting to notice.

He knows that he's a wreck, and he knows that he needs to shape up or else he'll lose her. He'll lose everything. But he's been caught in this downward spiral for so long that he doesn't know how to drag himself out, and it scares him shitless.

XXX

She's in a black bra, black panties, black garter belt and thigh-highs, and posing seductively on his bed. She did her hair and makeup like a pinup girl. She's so beautiful and so sexy, and all the thought she put into this is really paying off. He can't remember the last time he was this turned on.

"What's the occasion?" he purrs as he joins her in the bed.

He kisses her, and the way she kisses back is so desperate that he suddenly knows why she's doing this. He didn't touch her all summer. Not since Sodapop died. He pulls back and sighs.

"God, Betty. I've been an awful boyfriend these past few months, haven't I?"

She kisses his forehead and cuddles up next to him.

"No, honey. You've been grieving. It's OK."

"I should be over it by now. Hell, even Pony's gotten past it."

He sighs and shakes his head. "What the hell's wrong with me?"

She tightens her arms around him and nuzzles his neck.

"You're OK," she says softly. "You'll get through this when you get through this."

They lay next to each other in silence, and he knows that he killed the mood Betty had worked so hard for.

"This isn't just about Sodapop, is it?" Betty asks.

Darry shakes his head, and Betty nods in understanding.

"You tend to bear your soul when you're drunk," she says. "I know a lot more than you think I do."

"Oh, glory," he says. He rubs his eyes with his palms.

"You've been through so much," she says. "But I know you're gonna get through it. You know that I'm here. I'll take care of you as long as you want me."

He kisses her softly. He wants to say that he'll always want her, and that he can't imagine life without her any more. He's never regretted backing out of proposing to her as much as he regrets it now, and part of him wants to roll out of bed and drop down on one knee.

But instead, he just kisses her again and says, "guess I really ruined the mood, huh?"

She laughs. "Honey, I've been in the mood for a month straight. I'd take you standing up in an alley behind a bar at this point."

He smiles, kisses her deeply, and then he's on top of her. He forces himself to push away the thoughts that have been haunting him for the past few months.

"Well, how about I take care of that?" he teases.

She puts a hand on the back of his neck and pulls him to her, kissing him deeply. He's suddenly aware that he's smiling against her lips.

He's missed this.

XXX

He breathes in, takes a big gulp from his bottle of cheap whiskey, and breathes out. He opens the door to the bedroom.

The air smells stale because the door was closed for so long, and everything looks the same as it did the day that Ponyboy left for college. He knows that all of Soda's stuff is in the closet and the bottom two drawers of the dresser. He wishes that he had taken Betty up on her offer to clean out the room. He doesn't want to do this.

But he just sighs heavily, takes a few more sips from the bottle, and opens the closet door.

Soda's clothes, his shoes, and his old DX uniform are all hanging there in a sort of suspended animation. His shoes rest on the closet floor. They were waiting for him to come back, but he's not coming. He'll never wear them again.

He doesn't know if he's sad or angry, but his vision suddenly blurs with tears and then goes white. He grabs a fistful of clothes and stuffs them into the garbage bag. He grabs another handful and then reaches down for Soda's shoes. He cleans out his dresser drawers quicker than he cleaned out the closet. Darry quickly double checks the bedroom and decides that he put everything of Soda's in the bag.

Then he starts on the rest of the house. There's Soda's shampoo and toothpaste sitting in the medicine cabinet, his favorite coffee mug in the cupboard, the boxes of food coloring in the pantry, and his rodeo trophy on the mantle. He can't stand to look at them, so he grabs them and stuffs them in the bag. By the time he's finished his second walkthrough of the house, he's sobbing so hard that he can hardly see, and the bottle of bourbon is empty. He flops down on the couch and lets himself cry. The empty bottle is the last thing to go in the bag.

XXX

Betty finds him a few hours later. She tangles a hand in his hair and sits silently next to him for a while. Then he hears the plastic rustling, a sigh from her, and a whisper that sounds like, "honey, I'm sorry".

In the end, she's the one who takes the bag and puts in the trashcan outside by the curb. The sound of the metal lid on the metal can rings in his head, and it hurts. She sits on the arm of the couch, strokes his hair, and whispers sweet nothings to him until he's asleep.

* * *

><p>I know these past few chapters have been heavy, but this wasn't exactly supposed to be a happy story. But at any rate, here's a joke to cheer you up.<br>Two fish are in a tank. One fish turns to the other and says, "how do you drive this thing?!"

I'd love some reviews! :D


	15. Chapter 15

Darry feels a bit better after getting rid of Soda's stuff. It's easier to put him out of mind and try to move on without the constant visual reminders. But he also feels guilty. He should have talked it over with Ponyboy first. Maybe he would have wanted to keep some of Soda's things. Maybe he should have just boxed everything up and put it in the attic. But he wasn't in a place to think critically and consider the consequences when it happened. He did what he needed to do to help himself. He'll handle Ponyboy when the time comes.

XXX

"You look like an English major!" Betty says.

Ponyboy's hair has gotten long and shaggy, and he's wearing a black sweater, dark jeans, and a ragged-looking coat that's a size too big. He has a cigarette tucked behind his ear and a paperback copy of _The Dharma Bums_ in his back pocket.

"Oh my god, I'm so happy you're here!" Betty says. She gives him a hug. "I missed you."

"You too," he says. He looks different, but he still has that same soft voice.

Betty takes a lock of his hair and holds it between her index and middle fingers.

"Your hair's growing out healthy. Ends aren't split or anything."

"Thanks, I guess," he laughs.

"But, hey, change your clothes or put on cologne or something before Darry gets here." She looks around like she's making sure that they're alone, turns to him, and says in an exaggerated whisper, "you smell like pot."

His eyes get big. "Shit. Thought we aired the car out good and everything."

Betty shrugs. "Not good enough, I guess. Darry'll notice for sure."

As if on cue, Darry's truck pulls into the driveway. Betty and Pony share a look.

"Go, go, go!" she says as she makes a shooing motion with her hands. "I'll stall him."

Ponyboy darts into his old bedroom and closes the door. Betty opens the front door and steps out into the crisp November air. She meets Darry on the porch and wraps her arms around his waist. He pulls her into a hug.

"Got paint on your face," she says after they pull back. She reaches up and tries to wipe it off.

Darry takes her hand and kisses it. "It'll come off in the shower."

Betty nods. "Guess who's here?"

Darry's eyes light up. "Pony's back?"

"Just got here a bit before you. He's inside."

The door opens, and Betty turns around. Pony is standing in the doorway. He smells like cologne and he's holding a half-smoked cigarette, but it seems to be covering up the scent of the grass.

"Hey, Dar," Pony says.

"You need a haircut," Darry replies.

He clears the couple of steps between them in a flash, and then he's got Pony in a bear hug. Pony hugs back with one arm and holds his cigarette out to keep from burning them with the other.

"I missed you," Darry says. "I wanna hear all about college."

"Ok," Pony replies. And then, softly, "I missed you too."

XXX

He sits at the kitchen table, smokes a few cigarettes, and tells Darry and Betty about college while they start on dinner. He says he's having a good time. He likes all the classes he's in this semester, and he signed up for more to take in the spring that he thinks he'll like. He and Dave are still getting along great, and he's made friends with some of the people on his floor or in his classes. He doesn't get along as well with the guys on the track team, but he's keeping in shape and the coach likes him. He's excited for meets to start up next semester.

Darry can't get over how happy Ponyboy seems. He hates to admit it, but when they dropped him off at school, he expected the worst. It was so soon after losing Sodapop, and he didn't think he was ready. He'd expected a call from Pony begging him to come get him after just a few weeks.

But now, Pony is sitting at the kitchen table laughing and smiling as he's talking about the good time he's having at school. Maybe a fresh start really was all that he needed. Darry hasn't seen him this happy in a long time, and he's pleasantly surprised that he's doing so well. But he's also a little jealous, even though he hates himself for it. Pony actually got the chance to go to college, and he's doing so much better than Darry is.

Darry can't help thinking about how much different things could have been if his parents hadn't died. He could have worked, saved money, gone to college, and gotten himself out of North Tulsa. He would be going places and doing things like Ponyboy is now. He wouldn't be stuck in this rut that he's in now. He wouldn't be turning into a drunk like so many other men on this side of town.

But his father had to go and kill himself and their mother in that car accident, and Darry had to start playing parent when he was barely twenty. They were close when he was alive, but now, Darry sometimes finds himself hating his father. He resents how careless he was that night. He hates how his life changed for the worse when he died. And he's not the kind to wax pathetic, but he thinks he wouldn't be caught in this downward spiral if his parents were still alive. In fact, he knows it.

But he really is happy for his little brother, and it's not his fault things turned out the way they did. So he keeps his mouth shut, listens to Pony's stories, and has a couple of drinks. They stay up late watching TV and catching up, and Betty fusses over Ponyboy's hair and how it's so healthy for being so long. When they finally do go to bed, it feels good for Darry to be able to give his brother a hug goodnight. It feels good to have him home.

XXX

Ponyboy doesn't notice anything is amiss until the day before Thanksgiving. He opens the closet to look for something, and he notices that all of Soda's clothes are gone. His yearbooks aren't on the bookshelf, and his pocketknife isn't in the desk drawer. Then he notices that his old rodeo trophy isn't in its usual spot on the mantle.

He corners Darry in the kitchen when he gets home from work that evening.

"Where's all Soda's stuff?" Pony asks.

Darry takes a sip of his beer and cocks an eyebrow. He knows that he can't get out of this, but he needs some time to stall. He hasn't thought about what to say.

"His clothes are gone, his pocketknife is gone, even his rodeo trophy is missing. What happened, Darry? What did you do with it?"

Darry sighs and shoves his fists in his pockets. He looks down at the floor and sighs again.

"Ponyboy," he starts.

Anger flashes in Pony's eyes. "You didn't. Tell me you didn't do what I think you did."

He's totally lost for words, and all he can do is weakly nod his head. He knows that he just kissed Ponyboy's fun, laid-back visit goodbye.

* * *

><p>Shit's about to hit the fan! ;)<p>

I'd love some reviews! :D


	16. Chapter 16

Ponyboy just stares at his brother. He's furious, he's confused, he's sad, and he wants to yell all kinds of nasty things at him. But he's frozen and lost for words, and all he can do is stare. Darry is still staring down at the floor, and Ponyboy is suddenly struck by how vulnerable he looks. He feels sorry for him, but his feelings of pity are quickly overpowered by his anger.

"How could you?" Ponyboy finally says.

"Pony, I'm so sorry," Darry whispers.

"You didn't think to wait for me to get home? You didn't even call me?"

"No. You're right, I didn't think. I'm sorry, Pony. I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing left?"

Darry slowly shakes his head and closes his eyes tight to keep the tears back. It's for the best. He can't see the cold, hard stare that Ponyboy is giving him.

"You have no idea what staying here has been like," Darry says. "I just couldn't take it any more. I couldn't stand being reminded that he's gone every second of every day. I didn't think. I just acted. You know what that's like, Ponyboy. You've just gone with your gut more than anyone I know. I'm so sorry, but you've gotta understand…"

"Just stop," Ponyboy snaps. "Save it. I don't wanna hear it. I can't even look at you right now."

Ponyboy turns and leaves the room. He sits down on the floor and starts putting on his shoes.

"Pony, wait. Where are you going?"

Ponyboy glares at him. "I'm going back to Stillwater. I'll hitch if I have to. Don't bother trying to call me, because I'd be perfectly happy to never speak to you again."

Ponyboy might as well have stabbed him right in the heart. Darry can't move. He can't speak. It's like he's paralyzed as he watches Ponyboy walk out the door and slam it behind him. He stands there for a good ten minutes before he's able to move. He's in a daze as he shuffles into the kitchen, grabs the bottle, and sinks down onto the floor. He can't find the energy to move to the couch or his bed.

XXX

He's finished the half-bottle of whisky, his whole six pack of beer, and started on Betty's wine by the time she shows up. She sits down next to him on the floor and puts an arm around his shoulder.

"I lost him," Darry whispers.

"Lost who?" Betty says. "Hang on, I'm gonna get you some water."

"Ponyboy's gone and it's all my fault," Darry slurs. "I told him about what I did with Soda's stuff and he said he never wants to see me again and stormed out. He's going back to Stillwater. I lost him just like mom and dad and Soda. I lost everyone."

Betty doesn't bother pointing out that he still has her, even though it hurts that he didn't mention her. She reminds herself that he's drunk and upset, and what happened with Ponyboy was like rubbing salt in a fresh wound. He hasn't said it, but she knows he needs her. So she sits next to him on the kitchen floor, holds him, and brings him the wastebasket so he doesn't have to drag himself to the bathroom to be sick. She tries to get him to take sips of water or suck on ice cubes to keep from getting too dehydrated, and once he's sobered up a little, she helps him to bed.

Betty kisses his forehead and says, "Pony's not gone forever."

"How do you know?" Darry replies.

"All of his stuff is still here."

XXX

Ponyboy comes home just after two o'clock in the morning, reeking of cigarette smoke. He looks at Betty, sitting alone on the couch, and sighs. Betty pats the spot beside her.

"Sit with me a minute?"

He wants to say no. He should be mad at her too, because she's Darry's girlfriend. But she's also practically his older sister, so he slowly makes his way over to the couch and sits down next to her. Once he's sitting down, she bends over, and Ponyboy notices the totebag sitting by her feet. She takes some things out of it, sits back up, and sets them on Pony's lap. It's Sodapop's rodeo trophy and DX hat.

"I saved a couple of things," she says. "Thought you'd want them."

He's stunned. He finally manages to whisper, "thank you".

Betty nods. They sit in silence for a few minutes. The only sound is the grandfather clock ticking in the corner.

"You have every right to be angry," Betty finally says. "And I know you don't understand why he did this."

She pauses, "but Soda passing away has been so hard on him. It brought up a lot of old memories. It's forcing him to finally process things that happened years ago. It's like everything is hitting him at once, and it's overwhelming."

"He could've at least told me when he did it," Ponyboy says softly.

"You feel betrayed. I understand, and so does he."

Ponyboy snorts, and Betty gives him a warning look.

"You haven't been around, Ponyboy," she says. "This is killing him. It is literally killing him. He's drinking so much, he hardly sleeps, he's called out sick from work more these months that you've been gone than he did all the time we've been together combined..."

Her voice trails off, and she quickly wipes a tear away from her eye.

"He just felt awful the next day. Went to the trash to grab the bag, but it had already been picked up. I'm glad I grabbed those things when I did."

There's a long minute of silence, and then Betty sighs heavily.

"You're so lucky, Ponyboy. You got out. Darry is stuck here, and this city and all its memories are dragging him down. You need to cut him some slack. He's doing the best he can."

Ponyboy bites his bottom lip, and Betty starts picking at a place where her fingernail polish is starting to peel.

"I just want to save him," she whispers.

Ponyboy sighs a long, shaking sigh. He takes a cigarette out from his pack, lights it, and takes a long drag.

"I'm not happy either, Betty," he says.

"But when you were talking about school you seemed so…"

"I lied, OK? I lied about most of it. I like my friends, but that's it. I hate the school, I hate my classes, I hate the track team more than I let on."

"Oh god, Pony."

"Dave and a few friends and I have already filled out the paperwork," Ponyboy says. "We aren't going back in the spring."

"Well, what're you gonna do?"

"We're gonna live. We're gonna drive across America, and sleep under the stars, and wash dishes in exchange for food. We're gonna panhandle and hitchhike and just be free. We're gonna be like Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady."

Betty just stares at him with her mouth agape. She can't believe what she's hearing.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking lately," Ponyboy says. "Life is too short. My parents, my old friends, Sodapop, they didn't think they were gonna go so young. And if I die tomorrow, I don't wanna have many regrets. And if I don't take this trip, I'm gonna regret it. If I don't live life to its fullest, I'm gonna regret it."

He stops to light another cigarette. "All I want is to write, Betty. And if I don't live, there's nothing to write about."

"I honestly don't know if you're a genius or an idiot," she says after a brief pause.

"I'm just a guy who's seen too much death too early," he says. "I'm just a guy who wants to enjoy life before it's over."

"Darry's going to flip," she says.

Ponyboy nods. "I know. I still don't know how I'm gonna tell him, so don't mention it, you dig?"

She nods. "Yeah."

He keeps the fact that he's not going to tell Darry to himself. He doesn't tell Betty that when his friend Marcus picks him up, they're going to New Orleans instead of back to Stillwater. They'll find out for themselves soon enough. He's already decided that he'll send them a letter explaining everything. It'll get there around the time he's supposed to be home for Christmas. Then he'll cut all ties with these people and this toxic city. He'll be free to live his life.

But tonight, he just wants to enjoy his time with this girl who might as well be his sister-in-law. Sometimes, he thinks he loves her more than he loves Darry.

"You're doing great taking care of Darry," Ponyboy finally says. "Don't ever leave him."

Betty doesn't think she could ever leave him. Being with him is hard on her sometimes, but leaving him would be like losing half of her soul.

"I won't," she says. "I'm here to stay."

* * *

><p>Mad Ponyboy is mad, and stupid Ponyboy is stupid. Sad, drunk Darry is sad and drunk, and Betty is just kind of there.<p>

Talk to me.


	17. Chapter 17

He doesn't believe it at first. But then he calls the school, both Pony's dorm number and the registrar, and they all confirm it. He can't even name his emotion as he calls Betty at the salon and begs her to say that there's been an emergency and she has to leave early. He feels dizzy, numb, and sick, and it gets worse every time he reads the letter. But he can't stop. He reads it over and over until Betty gets there. She sits down next to him, and he wordlessly hands her the letter. Her eyes are wide and her face is sheet white when she looks up at him.

"Oh god, Darry," she says.

"I just…" he starts. He doesn't know what to say. He doesn't know what to feel.

"I don't… I can't…"

Betty squeezes his hand. "It's OK."

But it's not OK. It's the furthest thing from OK. His parents are dead, Sodapop is dead, and now Ponyboy is god knows where doing god knows what. He might never see him again. He could get himself killed like the rest of the family. His brother, the only other surviving member of the family, is gone. And now he's all alone. It's his worst nightmare come true.

He pulls his hand away from Betty and covers his mouth. "Gonna be sick."

He bolts into the kitchen and dry-heaves over the sink. He's still heaving and coughing when Betty joins him a minute later. She starts gently running a hand up and down his back.

"You're OK," she whispers. "It'll be OK."

He looks up at her. There's so much pain in his eyes, and Betty wishes that she could just twitch her nose and everything would magically be better. But all she can do is hug him tight and stand there with him.

"I need a drink," he says. "No, I need to lay down. I need to have a drink and then lay down."

He chokes back a sob. "Hell, Betty, I don't know what I need."

The only sound is Darry's ragged breathing and the ticking of the clock. Neither one of them tries to move out of the hug. He doesn't want her to ever let him go. He feels like she's the only thing holding him together, and he'll break the second he's out of her arms.

"I need you," he finally says. His voice is hardly audible.

"I'm here," she replies. "I'm right here."

"Please don't ever leave."

She kisses him softly. "You know I won't."

He sighs a long, shuddering sigh, and Betty gives him another kiss.

"Let's get you to bed, huh?"

He nods and lets her lead him to his room. He's suddenly exhausted, and he sinks down on the bed without even bothering to get undressed. Betty lays down next to him and pulls the covers around them. She holds him tight until he drifts off into a fitful doze.

Darry whimpers and kicks in his sleep, and Betty starts gently rubbing his back. She feels sick. She knew Ponyboy was planning on leaving, but she never thought it would be like this. She thought he'd at least come home and tell Darry to his face. If she had known that this was Pony's plan, she would have told Darry right away. She would have tried to talk Ponyboy out of it.

She hates him for doing this. Darry was in bad shape before, and Pony leaving is only going to make him worse. It's going to make it even harder for him to bounce back. She hates watching the man she loves slowly kill himself in front of her eyes.

She wishes that Ponyboy could see his brother like this. Maybe then he'd understand just how hard all these losses hit him. Maybe then he'd see that Darry really is trying his best to stay afloat. Maybe then he'd understand that the only other surviving member of his family is slowly but surely dying.

She wishes that Ponyboy could see what he did. And she hopes it would make him hate himself.

XXX

"Haven't seen much of you lately," Pearl says.

Betty nods. "I know. And I'm sorry. Darry is just going through a really hard time right now. He's drinking so much, and he's so sad and tired all the time. I'm worried about him. I don't think he should be alone."

"Stand by your man sounds so much better when Tammy Wynette sings it."

"He needs me, Pearl."

"I need you too. I miss you," Pearl replies.

"I'm sorry. I really am. I know I've been a terrible friend lately. I'm sorry I haven't been home more. I really do feel bad for leaving you alone so much."

Pearl sighs. "I understand. I know you've been together a long time and you love him. It's just…"

She sighs again and shakes her head. "It's not gonna matter soon, anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

"Betty, I'm pregnant."

"_What_? When? How? Who?" Betty demands.

"It was stupid. I went to a party. I met a guy. I got drunk, and I made a really bad decision."

"Does he know?"

Pearl shakes her head. "I don't see any reason to tell him. I hardly know him. And what would I do, marry him? We might hate each other once we get to know each other for all I know."

"God, Pearl, I can't believe this. How can I help? What are you gonna do?"

"I have this childless aunt and uncle over in Missouri who have always wanted a kid, but they couldn't have one, and adopting just never worked out. So I'm gonna go live with them for a while, and then they're gonna adopt the baby once it's born."

She snickers. "Should've heard them when I called. They were trying to sound all disappointed in me, but I could tell that they're excited. It's a blessing in disguise, I guess."

"When are you leaving?" Betty asks.

"End of the month. I'll pay the lease termination fees or help you find a roommate or whatever."

Betty shakes her head. "Don't worry about it, Pearl. I'll take care of it all."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah. You just take care of yourself. And let me know if I can do anything at all to help you."

She nods. "I will."

XXX

Darry is lying on his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. He feels awful. He worked so hard at the job site, carrying two or even three bales of roofing up the ladder, refusing to take breaks, pushing himself as hard as he could. He just wanted to feel something other than the hollowness that he's felt for months. Even pain and exhaustion would have been a welcome change, just as long as there's something filling the gaping hole in his heart.

But now he's home, and it was all he could do to take a shower and stumble back to bed. He didn't drink enough water, so he's dehydrated and feeling shaky and nauseous. His muscles feel like they're on fire, and he's too exhausted to move. He can't even bring himself to drink the glass of water sitting on the nightstand. But the worst part is that, on top of everything else, he still has that awful, empty feeling that he tried so hard to get rid of.

He hears the front door open and close, and then Betty starts calling his name. He can't find the energy to respond. She'll find him soon enough.

When she does find him, she sits down on the bed next to him and starts stroking his hair.

"Poor baby. You don't look so good," she says.

He mentally gathers up all his energy and responds, "I feel like death."

"What can I do?"

He groans. He's too tired for this.

"Come on," she says. She puts her arms around him. "Let's sit up. I'll help."

She helps him sit up and hands him the glass of water. She brings him glass after glass of water until he starts to feel better. He sighs heavily and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Dar?"

"Hmm?"

"Pearl is pregnant."

"Really?"

"Yeah. And she's leaving town at the end of the month to go live with an aunt and uncle and have the baby. So, not that I'm there much any more, but I'm not going to have the apartment."

"Let's make it official," he says. "Move in. I hate being alone. I want you here with me. I need you here with me."

She kisses his cheek and nuzzles his neck. "I want to be here with you, too."

And she does want to be with him. Maybe, if they live together, she'll be able to give him more help. She'll be able to keep him distracted, give him moral support, and try to keep him from drinking so much. Maybe this is what will finally save him.

She loves him with all her heart, and she'll do anything for him. But he's self-destructing so fast and so violently, and, in the back of her mind, she's scared. She's scared that she won't be able to save him from himself. And she's afraid that he'll drag her down with him.

* * *

><p>I can haz reviews, plz? ;D<p> 


	18. Chapter 18

Having Betty around should make him feel better. He should be enjoying the company, drinking less, working hard, and trying to save up money so he can afford to marry her. He always knew that one day he and his brothers wouldn't all be living under the same roof. But it's not the same. They're not all just living separate lives. Soda is dead, Ponyboy is gone, and Darry just can't shake this constant, dull ache that's all over his body. And no matter how hard she tries, Betty can't get rid of it for him. He's never felt so hopeless or so helpless.

XXX

He's lying on his bed, staring at the wall, trying not to be sick. His eyes are red and puffy from crying. A drained bottle of brandy sits on the nightstand. He wanted to be alone for a while. But now that the room is dark, he realizes how drunk, sad, and nauseous he is. He wants Betty. He shouldn't have snapped at her to leave him alone.

He sits up. The room tilts drastically to one side and starts spinning even faster. He flops back down onto his side and grabs the wastebasket off the floor in just enough time. He's violently sick.

The door slowly creaks open, throwing a small ray of light onto the floor and wall. He hears footsteps, and then Betty is sitting next to him, rubbing his back. This time he doesn't snap or try to push her away. This time he wants her there.

"Poor baby," she whispers.

He sniffles and lets a few tears fall onto his already soaking wet pillowcase.

"Why couldn't I have died instead of them?" Darry slurs. "Why can't I be dead, too?"

Betty bites down hard on her lip. It breaks her heart to hear him talking like this. And he's been saying these kinds of things more and more lately.

"I gave them everything," he rasps. "I gave up my dreams, I didn't go to college, I worked my ass off and lost all my friends because all I wanted was them. They were the only important things after our parents died. And then they just … left."

"I know, honey. I know."

"I've got nothing to show for it. I have no family. I just…"

His voice trails off, and he buries his face in his pillow and sobs.

"It's OK," Betty whispers as she rubs his back. "Let it out. You just let it all out."

She sits with him, rubbing his back and listening to his sobs until he's asleep again. Once she's sure he's out, she slowly gets up off the bed, walks into the bathroom, and turns on the shower to drown out her sounds.

She crumples onto the floor next to the bathtub and lets herself cry.

XXX

"Curtis, I need to talk to you."

It's early in the morning, but it's already ungodly hot. The sun is so bright, the smell from the tar is making him gag, and the hammering and other sounds of construction aren't doing his headache any favors. Realistically, he should have stayed home today. He's not in any shape to work. But he's already called out sick so many times, and he knows he's on thin ice.

Darry and his boss sit down next to each other on the trunk of his boss's car. They're quiet for a minute, and then Darry can't stand the awkward silence any longer.

"You needed something, sir?" he asks.

"Curtis," his boss says. He sighs, "Darrel, you know I like you. You work harder than two men, and I couldn't trust just anyone with balancing the books. You've been one of the best hiring decisions I've ever made."

"Thank you, sir."

"But, lately, you've been getting sloppy. Calling out sick so often, coming in obviously under the weather, making rookie mistakes. And it's not just here. You've been making a lot of errors with the books, too. It's a good thing I double check them, because I could've been in a lot of trouble with the IRS."

"I'm sorry. I'll do better," Darry says.

"I know you've been having family troubles. One of your brothers passed away, and that's got to be hard after losing both your parents."

"Yes, sir. And then the other one ran off. Don't know where he is."

"I'm real sorry, Curtis. I can't even imagine what you're going through. I know it hasn't been easy."

Darry nods.

His boss sighs. "But the fact of the matter is, Curtis, you've become a liability. I hate to do this, but…"

"No, sir, please," Darry says. "I'm sorry. I'll shape up, I promise. Please, I need this job."

"I'm so sorry, Darrel. Take some time and get yourself together. I'll welcome you back with open arms. But, as it is, I have to let you go."

"Please."

"I'm sorry, Curtis. I really am."

His boss starts back toward the rest of the crew. Darry just sits on the trunk of the car, dumbfounded. He lost his dreams, his family, and now his job. What's next? The truck? The house? Betty? Not Betty. Anything but Betty.

He speeds all the way home, only stopping to buy himself some liquor. He debates calling Betty and asking her to come home, but he decides against it. There's no sense in them both losing their jobs because he screwed up.

He opens the first bottle of cheap bourbon and takes a swig. He's going to drink himself into a stupor. He almost hopes that, this time, he won't come out of it.

XXX

The last thing he remembers with certainty is finishing the first bottle and cracking open the second. He has a vague memory of Betty coaxing him into standing up and walking to the bathroom, but maybe he dreamed that.

He groans and opens his eyes. Sure enough, he's lying on the tile floor of the bathroom. He's covered up with towels, and there's a towel folded into a makeshift pillow under his head. Betty is suddenly in his field of vision. She starts patting a cool rag on his forehead, and he can't remember anything feeling better.

He groans again. "What time is it?"

"Quarter after six. It's Wednesday morning now."

"You really gave me a scare," Betty says after a minute. "Thought you were dead at first, then thought you had alcohol poisoning and I'd have to take you to get your stomach pumped. Hell, maybe you did. But you pulled through OK without a trip to the hospital. Guess I'm a decent nurse."

"Thanks," he says softly.

Betty dips the rag into a bowl of ice water, wrings out the excess, and puts it back on his forehead.

"You've got a long day ahead of you," she says. "Not gonna be fun for anyone."

"I'm sorry."

Silence. His head is pounding, his stomach hurts, and he notices that he's shaking slightly. All he wants to do is sleep.

"I got fired yesterday," he whispers.

Betty nods. "I know. Called your boss last night to tell him you wouldn't be coming in, and he told me."

"God, what am I gonna do?"

"We'll worry about that later," Betty says. She tangles a hand in Darry's hair. "Right now, we're just gonna get you feeling better."

He closes his eyes tight. "Think I'm gonna be sick."

Betty helps him lift his head a little and puts a bowl under his chin. He heaves, and his stomach muscles scream. It burns so much more coming up than it did going down.

XXX

She takes a few days off work just to be with him. Darry sleeps a lot, but Betty spends every minute that he's asleep curled up next to him, even if she's wide awake herself. When he's awake, they snuggle up on the couch and watch TV or read books. There's a thunderstorm on the second day that she's with him, and they sit on the porch swing and watch it roll in. It's so comfortable, and he doesn't want it to end. He doesn't want to talk about what they're going to do next.

But the night before she has to go back to work, after a lengthy makeout session in their bed, he knows they can't put it off any longer.

"What're we gonna do, Betty?" Darry asks.

"Still got my job," she replies. "I do OK. And I've got some savings. We'll really have to be frugal, but I think we can make it for a while on just my salary. You should take some time off and take care of yourself. You've earned it and then some."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking me for anything. I'm offering it to you," she says with a smirk.

"I don't know what to say. Just … thank you."

"Thank you is good," she replies. "But you have to do something for me."

"Anything."

"You've gotta stop drinking."

XXX

The knot in his stomach gets tighter as his turn gets closer. He can't believe he's doing this, but he knows he needs to. He knows that this is his last chance. If he doesn't go through with this, he really will lose everything. But it was hard enough to admit defeat to himself. How is he supposed to tell a room full of strangers that he's failed?

His turn comes. He slowly stands up, and all the eyes in the room are on him. He sighs, buries his hands in his pockets, and looks at the wall instead of making eye contact with anyone.

"I'm Darrel," he says. He sighs again. "And I'm an alcoholic."

* * *

><p>As they say, things have to get worse before they can get better. Maybe this time they're finally going to get better.<p>

So… Reviews? ;)


	19. Chapter 19

He wakes up to Betty kissing him, whispering his name, and gently shaking him. She does this every morning before she leaves for work. He stretches and opens his eyes. She's sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a chocolate cupcake with two candles on it.

"What's goin' on?" Darry asks. His mind is still clouded with sleep.

"It's your two month sobriety birthday!" Betty says. "Make a wish and blow out the candles."

Darry snickers, thinks for a minute, and then blows out the candles. Betty sets the cupcake down on the nightstand and cuddles up next to him. He kisses the top of her head.

"Have I told you that I love you lately?" he asks.

"'Course you have," Betty says. "But it still hasn't gotten old."

He gives her shoulders a squeeze. "Wish you didn't have to go in today."

"I know, I know," she says. "But we need all the money we can get."

"I'll get back to work soon," Darry says.

"Take your time," Betty whispers. She nuzzles his neck and gives him a kiss on the cheek before she rolls out of bed.

"I've gotta go, but I wanna hear all about your meeting and your sponsor when I get back."

He nods. "See you tonight."

XXX

They're paired off and then seated at small tables in the church basement. Darry is across from a middle-aged man with graying brown hair and brown eyes. His skin has the deeply tanned and weathered look of someone who's spent years working outside in the sun. He's wearing a wedding ring, and his fingertips on his right hand are stained yellow from smoking.

"Well, this ain't my first rodeo, so I'll start," the man says. He has a thick Southern drawl. "I'm Jerry. I was born over in Mississippi, but the family moved out here when I was still a baby. I got two older brothers and one younger sister. I quit high school to join the army back in World War Two, but they wouldn't take me on account of how I've always got kidney stones real easy. That really threw me for a loop, and I recon that was when I started to really drink. But I also started learnin' brick masonry from my uncle, and I been doin' that ever sense."

He pauses to take a drink from his cup of water and light up a cigarette. "Met my wife, Betty, when I was twenty. Got married only a couple months later 'cause she was pregnant. Had three kids before I realized that I was spendin' more time at the bar than I was with them, and that didn't fly with me. I was missing so much of them growing up. So I started comin' to these meetings. Slipped up some at first, but I'll have been sober fifteen years this October."

Jerry grinds out his cigarette and looks up at Darry. "Your turn."

Darry smiles faintly. "Well, for starters, my girl's named Betty, too."

Jerry laughs. "They're good girls, those Betties, ain't they?"

"No idea how she's put up with my shit for so long," Darry replies.

"How long's it been?"

"Three years. Last year or so in particular has been real bad, though. For me, anyway. But, for some ungodly reason, she sticks around. Started comin' here for her. Probably would've just drank myself to death if not for her."

Jerry nods. "What's your story?"

Darry sighs. "Grew up poor, but was good at school and sports, so I always figured I'd go to college. But when the time came, we couldn't afford it. So I figured I'd work and save up money, but then both my parents died in a car wreck and I took over custody of my two younger brothers. I'd just turned twenty. Then a couple years later, the older one of my brothers died in Vietnam just a week before he was supposed to come home. And then this past year, right before Christmas, the younger one decided to leave college and travel around America without tellin' anyone first. I don't know anything about where he is or who he's with. He could be dead for all I know."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty-four."

Jerry whistles. "No wonder you drink."

"No wonder at all," Darry agrees.

"So, your Betty, is she your wife, girlfriend, fiancée, what?"

He thinks about it for a minute. She's his roommate, his best friend, his cheerleader, and his shoulder to cry on. She's the only thing that hasn't changed. She's been his rock for so long, and girlfriend doesn't even begin to describe what she is to him.

She's all he has left. Her, and his mother's engagement ring.

He shrugs and gives Jerry the most truthful answer he can think of.

"She's my everything."

XXX

Betty is already home from work when Darry gets back. She smiles at him, and he can't miss how her eyes light up.

"Hey," she says. "Was wondering when you'd get back."

"Yeah, sorry. Stayed late at the meeting, and then I had a couple errands to run. Then went to the gym."

"No, don't be sorry. I'm glad you're getting out. Sounds like a good day."

Darry sits down next to her on the couch, wraps an arm around her shoulder, and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

"How was work? You have a good day?"

She nods. "It was good. Not the same without Pearl, though. I'm still not used to her being gone, and I hate being the youngest one there."

"I know," Darry says. He kisses her cheek again. "I'll get back to work soon, and then you won't have to spend much time there if you don't want to."

"Hey," Betty says. She shifts so they're facing each other, and she looks right into his eyes. "I know you hate this. I know you don't like that I'm the only one working. But I'm fine with it. I'd be working full-time even if you were also working, because I love this job."

She kisses him softly. "You're doing so much better. You've stopped drinking, you're getting out of the house, you're going to your meetings."

She smiles sheepishly. "We have a good sex life again. You seem so much happier now. And I'm sorry you had to get fired and hit rock bottom, but I'm also glad it happened. I don't think you'd be doing this well if you hadn't."

"I know," he says. "But it's because of you, too. Wouldn't have made it this long without you."

Betty giggles and blushes. Darry tilts her chin up and kisses her deeply.

"I love you," he breathes in between kisses. "I love you so much."

XXX

They're snuggled up next to each other in their bed. Darry is gently rubbing Betty's back, and she's periodically going in for kisses. The room is almost completely dark now that the sun is down, and the radio is softly playing music in the background.

He knows what he wants to do, and he knows that he can't wait any longer. But he's still nervous. He's acting calm, but his stomach is in knots and doing backflips.

Betty's lips are on his again, and he kisses her deeply. When they come up for air, he realizes that the song playing on the radio is _Stand by Me_. It's the perfect moment.

"Where ya' goin'?" Betty asks.

But Darry doesn't reply. He just walks over to the pile of his clothes on the floor and takes the ring out of his pants pocket. He had it cleaned earlier, and it looks brand new.

"Darry?" Betty asks.

He turns on the table lamp. She props herself up on her elbow and looks at him quizzically.

"Betty Jane Harrison," he says. He drops down on one knee and holds the ring out to her. Her eyes are big as saucers, but she's also smiling one of the biggest smiles he's ever seen.

"Will you be my wife?"

* * *

><p>Some happy after a bunch of sad chapters. Let's see if it stays that way ;)<p>

Am I making Darry OOC now though? I'm not sure how I feel about him in this chapter. I'd love some reviews!


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